HOME POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1920, Page 5

HOME POLITICS.

PEACE TREATY PROBLEMS. STATEMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. Ey Telegraph.—Press Aasn.—Copyright. Received Feb. IS, 12.5 a.m. London, Feb- 17. In the House of Commons, replying to Lord Robert Cecil, Mr. Bonar Law deprecated the premature publication or discussion of a part of the peace settlement, which would make the work of the Peace Conference more difficult. He declared that the reports that the Allies had abandoned the demand for the surrender of the war criminals, that the United States dissented from the proposals of the Allies for the settlement of the Adriatic question, and that the Allies decided to leave the Turks in possession of Constantinople to be absolutely unauthorised. Ho announced that a new Allied Note in regard to the war criminals had been sent to Germany and would be published «s soon as it was received in Germany.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. BRITISH TRADE GOOD. A REVIVAL IN EXEORTS. Received Feb. 18, 12.15 a.m. London, Feb. 1". In the House of Commons Sir Donald MacLcan (Leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party) moved an amendment to extend the scope of the Government inquiry into the practicability of a tax on wartime increases to wealth, and to the practicability of a capital levy for the purpose of reducing the National Debt. •' Mr. Austen Chamberlain (Chancellor of the Exchequer) thought the. idea of a capital levy would strike a blow at the employment of capital for the expansion of industry and the encouragement of saving. He thought the si|r.s of the times were re-assuring. Trade was good and exports were reviving The heavy fall in American exchange was ,i great bounty to the export trade «n diverting orders which 'otherwise would never have reached us. Full advantage should be taken of that by extending the means of production to the furthormiost. He rtcprecaid rash experiments against a sane method of 'mnncial recuperation. Sir Donald Maclean's amendment was '•ejected, and the Government motion v.'as adopted —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.