MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1916, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

POLICE RAID ON SLACKERS. PROFESSIONAL SPRINTER PROSECUTED. Received Sept. 13, .luO p.m. London, Sept. 12, J. Donaldson, the professional sprinter, was charged at Manchester as mi Absentee. He contended that he was not liable for service because lie was an Australian, and not ordinarily ft lesident of England. He came for running only. The Magistrate decided he was liable to be handed over to the military escort . The War Ollice explains that the round-ups are due to allegations from all the large centres that numbers of young men escap-' registration and consequently were permitted, through the laxity of tile recruiting department, to remain in civil life. Therefore, tliey argued, it was grossly unfair to summon older groups and classes to the colors. The result of the test heretofore carried out iu a number of districts demonstrated that the allegations were untrue. SEASON FOR THE RAID. UNTRUE ALLEGATIONS. London, September 12. The police and military raid's on London produced remarkably few slackers. Fifteen hundred business men were held' up at the Marylebone station, and 200, carrying insufficient proof of identity, were marehsd to the police station. In pursuance of the policy of capturing slackers, the military authorities raided Marylebone station. Men apparently of military age passed a barrier leading to a roped oft' space, where three officers inspected their registration cards and other papers. .Many were detained 2'/ s hours. Out of 130 arrests only one was without a propel explanation. Forty-two men were arrested at a football match at Beading, but all were liberated. Eighty arrests were made at a boxing tournament at Woolwich and one slacker was discovered. HOME-GROWN MEAT SUPPLY. London, Sept. 12. Tiicre are indications that the most acute stage of the meat shortage has passed. Preliminary agricultural returns for England and Wales show that cattle have increased to 6,215,780, the largest number on record, and that sheep Iwve incr.'a-sed by 428,000, giving promise of a good supply of home-grown meat in the autumn and early winter. Copenhagen, Sept. I*2. The Swedish newspapers are disappointed at Britain's note dealing with the detention ot mails.