MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1919, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

CARRYING OUT ECONOMIES. TRADING IN THE EAST. My Telegraph—r.-ess Aasn.—Copyright. Received Aug. 26, 8.15 p.m. London, Aug. 26. Sir Auckland Geddes, in a speech at Basingstoke, indignantly denied that the Government was not attempting to reduce expenditure. The Government had formed a Financial Committee to study means for economising, and Mr. Lloyd George (chairman) was devoting his wonderful energy to the subject. Enormous results had been achieved, but there were great commitments that could not immediately be reduced. There would have been social chaos without tin* unemployment donations, and the Government could not completely demobilise until peace was ' retired. We were nowhere near peace. Regarding Turkey and the East, the speaker pointed out that a Board of Trade staff of 6000, including the staffs at all ports, had been trading on a great scale. The purchases of meat totalled thirty millions, and they a stock of twelve millions' worth of timber. Both transactions had saved the country mil-lions.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. Received Aug. 26, 10.13 p.m. London, Aug. 26. Mr. Lloyd George, in a letter to all the State spending departments, points out the urgency of economies and the reducing of staffs to their normal strength. Each department is asked to report before the reassembly of Parliament. It is understood revised Navy, Army, and Air Estimates will be presented. The Clyde shipbuilders have received orders to stop work on warships except those about to be launched. This will involve the unemployment of many thousands. It is understood that similar orders have been given to shipyards elsewhere.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. TELEGRAPHS WITH GERMANY. Reoeivevd Aug. 26, 7.35 p.n. London, Aug. 25. The pre-war telegraphic servr-s between Britain and Germany have been restored.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.