MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1917, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

NEW MAN-POWER. DBABTJC PROPOSALS jIPEBAL TO COUNTRY POSSIBLE. Received Dec. 20, 12.45 a.m. London, Dec. 19The Manchester Guardian believes that the- now man-power proposals are so drastic that the Government may feel unable to enforce them without appealing to the country. The Guardian hints that the King might prefer to try a reconstruction of the Ministry instead of Accepting the advice of a dissolution. i THE FOOD PROBLEM. INEFFICIENT -DISTRIBUTION. London, Dec. 18, The prevalence of queues throughout (he country is almost entirely due to tile inefficient distribution of supplies. In many instances women make a business of sending in queues- and afterwards selling what they get to their feeighbors at a profit. The only problem awaiting solution is knoro systematic distribution. The official Labor Gazette estimates that the food, rent, clothing, fuel and light used by a working class family J average 86 per cent, higher thaji before tta War, while the average advance in secondary foodstuffs, excluding coffee, is between 140 and 150 per cent. Food prices in Norway are 114 per cent, above pre-war rates, and in the United Kingdom 103 per cent. These head the world's list. New Zealand is the lowest *itli 27.4 per cent, increase. J SUGGESTED ALLIED TREATY. $0 PENALISE CENTRAL POWERS. TILL REPARATION MADE. Reuter Service. Received Dec. 20, 1.45 a.m. London, Dec. 10. In the House of Commons, Mr. David xJavies suggested that Britain should propose an Allies' treaty for the total exclusion of all commerce, shipping and. trade with the.Central Powers until they abandoned the occupied territories, made complete reparation for their crimes, and accepted the Allies' proposals for the self-determination of nationalities, international arbitration and limitation of armaments after the war. 'Lord Robert Cecil replied that the suggestion would be carefully considered. DECORATIONS FOR NEW ZEALANDERS. • London, Dec. 18. : A bar to the Military Medal has been swarded to the following New Zealandlanders: —Corporal W. Carruthers, Privates K. W. .Porter, W. C. Espie, E. Kelsall. The Military Medal has been awarded to . 166 New Zealanders and the Meritorious Service Medal to one New ZeaJander. The French Cross of War has been awarded to the following New eZaland«H: —Brigadier-Qfenera] lb. .T. FuSton, Colonels W. S. Austin, G. A. King, J. Boache, A. E. Stewart, Majors P. H. Hill, and B. G. Purdy, >and thirteen pther ranks, principally riflemen. STEWARD 6' WAGES. London, (Dec. 18. - The official standard for monthly rates •» paeesnger lines is fixed in the case of rtewards an 3 stewardesses at £lO Ids. the standard monthly rates, withNfree food, on board cargo lines and general leaders carrying 40 hands and upwards, .are: Ohief steward £l7, cook £l6, secMat cook tad baker £lB 10*. Mcsnd MMOrd £ll.