MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1918, Page 6

MOTHER COUNTRY.

THE PREMIERS AT HOME. NEW ZEALAND'S PART. Received June 10, 2.25 p.m. London, June S. Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward and the Canadian and Newfoundland dele Sales were welcomed at Euslon station by Mr. W. S. A. Hcwins, Under-Secretary for the Colonies, on behalf of the Imperial Government, and Sir Thomas Mackenzie. A contingent of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, headed by the New Zealand band, welcomed the New Zealand delegates, who were escorted to their hotel by a squadron of New Zealand mounteds on horses lent by the Life Guards. Mr. Fisher welcomed Messrs Hughes and Garran. Subsequently Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward were interviewed. They reiterated Australasia's desire to provent Germany from reoccupying the Pacific islands as bases against British dominancy there. Up to the present New Zealand was not behind with a single man in keeping up reinforcements. On the contrary, it had exceeded the monthly drafts needed. Both expressed admiration for the splendid type of American soldiers coming to France. The men were in deadly earnest over the task before them. EMIGRATION Bill. ALTERATIONS URGED. London, June- 8. Sir J. McCall, on behalf of the AgentsGeneral, has approached Mr. Long to secure an alteration in the Emigration Bill, making it unnecessary for the Agents-General to take out passenger licenses. The Agents-General offer to vouch for their own employees, and, if outsiders are employed, they will all be licensed passage-brokers.

| UNION AND RESOLUTION. PREMIER'S TRIBUTE TO AMERICANS. London, June 8. Mr Lloyd George, responding to the toast of "Success to the Allied Arms" at the dinner of the Printers' Pension Association, said he had just returned from France, where he had seen the Americans. One of the most encouraging things was the suburb valour and skill of the Americans, who were coming steadily We were depending upon them. If the Allies failed it would be a sorry world to Ifr-e in. The destinies of coming generations would be fashioned by the failure of triumph of our cause against tho Germans' struggle for military domination. We were passing anxious days and the crisis was not ended. We seemed to be watching the bedside of a person suffering from a fell disease, and the only thing to do was to hold on till the crisis had passed. With stout hearts we would win through. Ludendorff's hammer blows might crush poor metal, but they would only consolidate good metal. Union and resolution were what we needed, then God would stem the torrent. (Loud cheers.)

LAXITY IN MUNITION ACCOUNTS. London, June 8 An extraordinary revelation is made in the Auditor-General's report on the national munition factories. There was a complete breakdown in the headquarters record of the material dispatched to and from the factories. The factories also failed to keep adequate records, and stocktaking revealed great shortages which were written off. The production accounts show that 144 national factories produced 235 millions worth of war material. The Ministry frequently sent no invoices. In one case, out of 38 million pounds paid for materials supplied, £15,885,000 represents materials for which no invoices were received. In another case, after a firm of chartered accountants had certified to the accounts, the factory accountant discovered an error amounting to three milion sterling in respect of the value of materials supplied by the Ministry of Munitions In the majority of cases reconciliation of the cost accounts with the financial books was impossible. The Government rolling mill was estimated to cost but £1,200,000 was spent, a number of important items having been omitted from the original estimate, while the actual output has fallen far short of the estimated capacity of the factory.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. j A FIVE YEAES BOYCOTT j London, June 8. The Transport Workers' Conference passed a resolution to boycott thu Germans for five years after the war.— Aus.-N.Z Cable Assn. BOOMING MR HUGHES. London, June 8. Newspapers are making a feature ot the arrival of Mr Hughes and tfce probable influence of his speeches on Imperial affairs.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. A BY-ELECTION. 'London, June 8. The Gravesend by-election resulted: Richardson (Coalition) 1312, Davis (Independent) HOG. Hinkley (Labour) 552. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. LABOR CONFERENCE. London, June 8. The Labor Conference, by 26 to li. decided to consider the executive's recommendation to terminate the politico! truce forthwith. —Aus. N.Z. Cable A.<tooistioß, A NOBLE HERO. London. Juno 8. The Albert Medal in gold has been awarded to Lieut. Thorner. He w;\examining hand grenades in a dug-out lin France when one began to fizz. Ron! I ising that there was no method of dis- ! posing of the bomb, Thorner shouted i" i twelve men to clear out of the dug-nm i and himself held the bomb against lii« j body till it exploded. Thorner wa.-s j killed instantly. The rest escaped, two being slightly wounded.—Aus. N.Z. I CaMe Assoc. i