MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1916, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

. MB. BUJJQIMAN'S VIGOROUS " SPEECH. . V. ' . ..j. London, Wo. 17. • ' lAis Himeiman, at Batley, after a /igoroue defence of Mr. Asquith's adJltfititfratibn, said he hoped that the ' taberals ivould give Mr.. Lloyd George juit onlyfformal but mora) support. ■Refermg to the submarine menace, he mid that among the decisions arrived , |it last August was that the production *>f armaments for the defence of mercbantnifcji would be, given first place, iiad doubtless that decision would not be • with by the new GovernThe' arinament of merchantmen fcl'oi%ht risks. Captain Blaikie was imperilled because he had the courage to snic hifr defence according to international -but this his enemies denied, say- ... 3tig that a captain was guilty unless a •member idf his Majesty's forces. If there Wa4&'an}r doubt about that, Mr. Ruriciv Stan -saUb he 'had no objection to a cer- ; taln/fiuHiber of nlerchantmen being put 4nta commission to enable the status of • their-captains to >e placed on a clear ..

PROHIBITION ADVOCATED > ' London, Dec. 17. - With a view to accelerating the out- ■ put of aerchant vessels, the Clyde Shipbuilders* Federation presented a memorial to Mr. Lloyd George urging the, innnediftte total prohibition of the sale of all alcoholic liquor throughout thf kingdom, to be applied to all classes and' individuals alike. • '{hey added that a meeting of Clyde iand West of Scotland shipbuilders and \ gwHne engineers Unanimously considered ithc nation should be required -to submit to this sacrifice, while as shipbuilders ; and fflguietrs, the meeting was chiefly concerned with the beneficial effect the atop would have on the output of mer~4jb»sb UuMge,

' A BAD FOG. London, Dec- 17. Tiie fog in London was the densest for , manyyears: Omnibuses and taxWSbs ceased running, people carried torches, and flares lighted the Strand. Railway .avid tramway traffic in several directions almost at a standstill for hours. . 'salaries i'OR ADDITIONAL • MINISTERS. London,. Dec. 17. • A Bill, has been drafted establishing the Ministries of Labdr, Food, and Shipping. It fixes the salaries at £2OOO. The Ministries of Food and Shipping will termijHkte twelve months after the war. : STOMETN WORKERS ON FARMS. ■ ■ London, Dec. 17. One hundred and forty thousand woJMn are successfully engaged in the vari- , on,,.branches of farm and. horticultural Mrk. , PREMIER'S WAR WORK - - . London, Dec. 17. , ffeytoolds' Newspaper. states .that Mr, Lloyd George is devoting himself entirely to jthe >w&, with a view to bringing our whole resources to bear against the and hi intends to introduce drastic nieisurea. He is asking the House of Common </to support him in the event of anything like concentrated effort to oppose the proposals. '£ jhe prospect of ■» gene'ral election ia very- much hearer than some suppose; Indeed, among inner circles of Mr, Lloyd G«»fge'» supporters it is stated that a general election at no distant date is fuite possible.