MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 May 1918, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

BRITAIN'S MARVELLOUS RESOURCES. [VALUABLE LESSONS. Keceived May 10, 7.30 p.m. London, May 1.1 The House of Commons discussed the Board of Trade vote.

Sir Albert Stanley (President of the I Board of Trade) drew attention to the enormous decline in Britain's imports I since the war. The imports in 1017 were only two-thirds as much as the imports of lfll.'i. He estimated this yeaT's would be one-half of those nt lf)13. They must make allowance for the imports direct to France for the nrmies, but Britain's resources had proved marvellous. Nobody before would have ventured to prophesy that Britain could have carried on as she had done with so little discomfort. Jt was a most valuable lesson, which ought to be borne in mind after the war. Our mi" imports totalled £1,005.000,000 (?), and our exports £3f18.000,000. including re-exports. These figures were misleadin" as indicating the growth of our trade, for two reasons, namely, the changed character of the fronds we were manufacturing, and the changed price level since the war. We must remember that a large part of our lost trade was due to the cessation of trading with onr enemies and Belgium and Ror.mania. He estimated that over one-half of Britain's workers to-day were doing Government work. The estimated aggregate output of industry to-day was little less than before the Mar. This constituted a truly remarkable performance. It was estimated that now 1J million women were engaged on what was nor mally men's work than before the war. The Government's control of railways had been thorrrosrh.lv satisfactory. The bargain with the railway companies, however, would show a loss to the State.

Sir Albert Stanley proceeded to say that of all the big services the railways alone had not increased their charges for the earria.ee of /roods. After the war they would b's fneed with higher wage*. nr.' ] not. have the same facility for securing men, because labor would bo much scarcer than before the war. On the general policy of State control. Sir Albert Stanley thought it would be a gTeat pity if the economies which unified control effected were not secured permanently to traders. The Government was anplyinjr a more drastic coal rationing scheme, also settins; up a priority committee to determine the coal consumption for industrial purposes, and was also rationing pas and electricity with a. view to preventing Germany's recapture of the dye industrj'. The imnortation of foreign dyestuffs would be controlled under license for ten years.—Press Assoc. LIQUOR CONTROL. GOOD RESULTS ACHIEVED.

London, May ]5. The Liquor Control Board reports steady and continuous in tiie control of the liquor trade for the better prosecution of tho war. Drunkenness is now one-fourth of the former amount. Whether the improvement will he permanent depends on future legislation. but three years' experience ?hows that there is no inherent difficulty in maintaining the pTesent level of sobriety. The hoard shows a profit of l~> per cent. on the premises taken under direct control. They are known as food taverns, and advertising matter regarding liquor ha 3 been abolished.

The Board has had great success with S-M) canteens at national factories and docks, providing the workers with good meala cheaply »mid3t healthy surroundings.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc

EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS. AN AGREEMENT IN SIGH P. London, May 15. In the House of Lords, Lord Newton announced that France and Germanyhad agreed to an equal exchange <f military and civilian prisoners, including able-bodied men who had been in captivity for eighteen months. Tin arrangement affects about 330,000 Frenchmen arid Germans. Britain was now prepared to reconsider the matter. Lord Newton suggested three /ears' captivity as a possible qualification for exchange. The number was not great, but the procedure '.>-ns slow. It was impossible for the enemy to gain a military advantage. Lord Burn ham pressed for a. speedy decision and appealed on behalf of the dying and tortured remnants of the Old Army.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

PROLONGING THE WAR,

FRANCO-GERMAN AGREEMENT A SURPRISE.

Received May 16, 7.30 p.m. London, May 15. Lord Newton explained that though the British authorities wore entirely sympathetic, they were opposed to the exchange of prisoners because it would prolong the war. The Government thought that if it acquiesced the othct Allies would follow suit, thus leading to an enormous exchange. He was surprised to find that France and Germany had agreed to a far-reaching exchange. The Government had not yet seen the text of the agreement, but the agreement altered the whole situation. Lord Newton's idea was that the exchange would apply to combatants and civilians alike. —Press Association. REGULATION OF TRAFFIC. London, May 15. A drastic regulation under the Defence of the Realm Act empowers tho , Poard of Trade to requisition horses and | horse vehicles for road transport of any J goods, also to restrict the carriage of certain classes of goods to specified roads and otherwise fix routes for trans*o*t.—Aus. N.Z. Cable A*«r<i.