MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 January 1917, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

1 WHEN PEACE COMES. DEMOBILISATION SCHEME PREPARING PLENTY OF EMPLOYMENT AFTER WAR, PRORAPLF SHORTAGE OF LABOR. deceived Jan. 10, .".43 pin. London, Jan. D. Mr. Hodge (Minister or Labor), on being interviewed, said the Government was rapidly preparing its demobilisation scheme, based on the report of the Demobilisation Committee. Tt is estimated that the army will demobilise at the. rate of .1000 daily. The Reconstruction Committee will investigate the demobilisation of munitioners and other workers, and it is expected there will lie plenty of employment after the war. Tiie existing pressure is wearing out the machinery, and this will necessitate its renewal jhe moment that peace comes. It is also expected there will he an immense impetus given to manufacture after the war, notably in locomotives and rails. It is certain also tbrt there will be a tremendous shipbuilding programme, which, coupled with allied industries, will absorb several millions. There will be only a short interval between the cessation of munitions manufacture and the commencement of peace manufactures, so that there will be a difficulty in obtaining sufficient labor for the cotton, woollen, leather, and building trades

AT THE HOTEL CECIL A REMARKABLE SCENE Received Jan. 10, 7.lf> p.m. London, Jan. fl. There was a remarkable scene at the Hotel Cecil, which has been requisitioned by the Government. Five hundred guests were ousted at forty-eight hours' notice, including Mr. and Mrs. Massey and Sir Joseph and Lady Ward, who moved to the Savoy Hotel. Many guests were ::i<■■'-'(' to find lodgings or vehicles, and ■■-anally to remove their belonghandoarts.

FOOD ECONOMY. SCREW BEING FURTHER APPLIED Received Jan. 10, 11.30 p.m. London. Jan. 10. The Chronicle states that Lord Devonport, Food Controller, shortly enforces a further dilution of flour and the reduction of sugar in mineral waters and eon-eetionn-y'.' lie also prohibit* the I ceding of game and the using of milk in chocolate manufacture. TURBULENT SCENES. PEACE MEETING BROKEN UP. Received Jan. 10, 7.30 p.m. London, Jan. fl. There were turbulent scenes at a peace meeting at Walthamstow; Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald, M.P., and Mrs. Snowden were the principal speakers. They were much heckled by soldiers and civilians, who swept the platform. Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald and the chairman were thrown out of the hall and a pro-war demonstration was then held. WASHED ASHORE. , MEN FROM A ZP.PPELIN. Received Jan. 10, 11.30 p.m. London, Jan. 10. Two charred bodies in German uniform have been washed ashore in a gale on the north-east t'oast. Apparently the men belonged to a German Zeppelin. BOTHA INVITED TO CONFERENCE. Renter Servic.'. Pretoria. Jan. 0. General Botha's invitation to attend the Imperial Conference will be considered on the re-assembly of Cabinet INTERNATIONAL GOLD RESERVES London, Jan. fl. Mr. Prothero says that the price of oat.', as cabled on January 7. 41s 3d, referred to War Office purchases of'oats specially grown on grass Lands, and was offered as an inducement to break up pastures. Samuel MoßWguo &. Co.'s Bullion Circular shows that at the end of Ifllfi the gold in the Bank of Germany was £120,000,0(10, in the .Bank 'of England £52.54f1.0()0, in the Bank of France. £203,037,000, in Russian banks :C141i.084,000, and in Italy £43,030,000, to which must be added the British visible stock £12,000,000 apart from the bank note reserve. This makes the Allici' gold resources near £558,000,000.

AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY London, .Tan. fl. The Minister of Munitions has created an agricultural branch to deal with the manufacture of machinery and implements for what may be classed as munitions work. WAR LOAN POSTPONED' United Service. London. Jan. fl. The issue of the new war loan has been postponed until January 12, in order to give everybody a fair start. ACTIVITY EXPECTED Received Jan. 10. 7.30 p.m London, Jan. 9. The Stock Exchange is stagnant, expecting activity over the war loan, which is between .COS 5s and £9B 15s. The 3-1 per eent. war loan is about £75 17s (id.