MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 October 1917, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

NATIONAL EXPENDITURE. COST OF WAR OyEITFIVE BILLIONS ON MUNITIONS. COMMITTEE'S BECOMMENDATIONS. I Received Oct, 28, 5.5 p.m. Hesdon, Qct. 20. The Parliamentary select committee on national expenditure has submitted an interim report. It rffiommeflded that the general staff =houla be required {o consider the financial aspect when considering alternative proposals; that ftU army commands should be impressed with the need for effecting further economies, and that an efficient method for checking waste should be devised. The committee recommends that Cabinet and the general stall' should consider wheilior so large a force of troops and Territorials, is required for home service and munitions work, the cost of guarding a pout by a single sentry being £BSO annually. Brass lihell cases and boxes wprth several millions have been accumulated in France. The committee strongly urges a stronger 'financial check at the Ministry of Munitions. The responsibility of settling the prices of munitions contracts has not yet been determined, de: spite its expenditure already of over £1,000,000,000.

The grass war coat.to the 30th September was about £5.000,000,000, and the gross deadweight of national debt, after deducting advances to the Allies and Dominions, which were £1,321,000,000; also the war revenue, will be about £3,000,000,000. If the war expenditure and all receipts continue at the present rate, each half year will add roughly £1,0(50,000,000 gross to the debt, or £750,000000,000 after deducting .advances to the Allies and Dominions. GIFT AEROPLANE FOR NEW ZEALAND. Received Oct. 28 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 27. The Nottingham Chamber of Commerce presented New Zealand with an aeroplane costing £2OOO. The Duchess of Portland christened the machine at Nottingham, in the presence of a large gathering. Miss Mackenzie attached to <l"> aeroplane ji Kiwi mascot. Sir James Mills accepted the gift on behalf of the New Zealand Government. Received Oct. 28, 5.30 p.m. London, Oct. 27,. At the Nottingham presentation Lieut. Clutha Mackenzie "accepted, on behalf or Captain Brandon, a specially designed medal commemorating the latter's work as a New Zealand aeronautical officer. HUGE WAR EXPENDITURE. London, Oct. 26. Mr. Bonar Law will ask the House of Commons on October SO for an adSitional credit of £400,000,000, making the total war expenditure £5,082,000,000. A BYE-ELECTION. Router Service. London, Oct. 25. At the bye-elections, there were returned unopposed Sir A. Geddes (Basingstoke) and Major Peel, a Liberal (Spaldi'ing). ■ EMBARGO ON SPORTS. London, Oct. 25. Sir Albert Stanley (president of the Board of Trade) has informed the National Hunt stewards that winter meetings cannot be held. , I A SNATCH VOTE. London, Oct. 25. In the House of Commons, during the discussion on the Petroleum Bill the Government was defeated by forty-four votes to thirty-five upon the Government's proposal' to pay surface owners in Britain a royalty of ninepenee per ton