BRITAIN'S PART.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15648, 21 July 1916, Page 8

BRITAIN'S PART.

COST OF THE WAR

ANOTHER HUGE CREDIT VOTE

(By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Australian and NZ. Cable Association.) (Received July 20th, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 20. Mr Asquith will ask for a credit vote of £300,000,000 next week. The House of Lords has passed the Finance Bill. MUNITIONS SUPPLY. POSTPONEMENT OF HOLIDAYS. Telegrams.) LONDON. July 19. After hearing explanations by the Hon. E. S. Montagu, Minister of Munitions, a _ meeting of employers in the engineering, ship-building, woollen, hosiery and bootmaking trades decided to postpone all holidays. SHELLS FROM CANADA. OTTAWA., July 19 It is officially announced that new orders have been received for the manufacture of <35,000,000 dollars' worth of 6-inch and 9-inch shells in Canada for delivery next year for Britain.

POST-WAR TRADE. THE IMPERIAL COMMITTEE. NON-INCLUSION OF DOMINIONS. (United Service.) LONDON, July 19. The exclusion of representatives of the Dominions from the Post-war Empire Trade Committee has caused.astonishment. The Colonial Office explains that the Committee is intended to prepare -~e British case for an early Imperial Conference. ("The Times.") (Received July 20th, 9.10 p.m.) LONDON, July 20. "The Times," in a leading article, deplores the omission of representatives of the Dominions from the Empire Trade Committee. It reiterates that the proper course was to decide upon an Imperial policy by consulting the Dominions before the Paris Economic Conference was held. It points out that it was only the pressure of public opinion that enabled Mr Hughes to represent the Dominions and the Empire at the Conference.

"The Times" asks the House of Commons to assert itself and see that the Dominions are called in to participate in subsequent stages of settling an Imperial post-war trade policy.

LIFE OF PARLIAMENT. GENERAL ELECTION PROBLEM. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, July 19. In the House of Commons, the Rt. Hon. H. L. Samuel moved the adoption of the Registration Committee's report, which stated that the preparation of a new electoral register, including that of troops, would cost £300,000, and necessitate 20,000 canvassers. He deprecated a general election in war time. If was unlikely that the Germans would grant an armistice to enable British troops to .vote. Sir Edward Carson protested against

the opera bouffe manner of Mr Samuel in a heated manner, and deprecated his belief that a general election was im-, possible in war time. The question of giving soldiers the vote had been solved by Australia and Canada. The proposed committee was a farce.

Colonel Churchill described Mr Samuel's speech as one long sneer. Mr Asquith, in view of the criticisms, withdrew the motion. He denied that the Government had intended to dele-, gate to the committee the decision as to whether a general election was desirable in September when the present Parliament ended. He promised that the Government would consider the matter, and if possible bring concrete proposals before the Hbuse.

COST OF LIVING. MR ASQTTITH'S REPLY TO TRADE UNIONS. LONDON, July 19. Replying to a deputation from the Trade Gnions' Congress regarding the regulation of prices of food and fuel', increase of old ago pensions,, and the conscription of riches, Mr Asquith said that the Congress had proposed fixing freight rates, commandeering home crops, and fixing standard prices of food in various areas. It was true that shipping companies were making large profits, but much of these profits were taken under the excess profits tax, and the interests of the country demanded that considerable reserves should be set aside to provide new tonnage after the war. Germany had tried fixing maximum prices, but he doubted whether she had been successful. He was not disposed to attempt it in the United Kingdom. As regards tho conscription of riches, the income tax was so high that he did not think any country in the world was exacting equal contributions from the well-to-do. UNLICENSED SALE OF LIQUOR AN EXEMPLARY SENTENCE. LONDON, July 19. A French woman who kept a restaurant in London was sentenced to a month's imprisonment and thereafter to be deported, for the unlicensed sole of liquor. The prosecution alleged that drunkenness amongst soldiers was largely due to so-called restaurants which had been the resort of overseas soldiers for months past. A Provost-Marshal found a number of soldiers helplessly drunk on such premises. KITCHENER MEMORIAL FUND A SPLENDID DONATION. {Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received July 20th, 10.40 p.m.) LONDON, July 20. Mr Fenwick Harrison, a prominent shipowner, and the purchaser of Lord Kitchener's letter calling for a pillion volunteers, has given £50,000 to the Kitchener Memorial Fund.