DEBATE ON MUNITIONS BILL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2502, 1 July 1915, Page 5

DEBATE ON MUNITIONS BILL

"COUNTRY KEPT IN SHAMEFUL IGNORANCE" FAIR SHOW FOR THE TROOPS (By Telfgraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Rec. June 30, 7 pan.) London, June 29. During the Munitions debate in the House of Commons, Mr. R. P. Houston (Unionist) said that Mr. Lloyd George alone had had the courage to disclose the truth, but lie- feared that he had not disclosed all. "We are shockingly and shamefully short of guns, big ammunition shells, and maxims. The censorship is too stringent, and the country is kept in shameful ignorance of the true facts of the case. The position, he added, was the most, desperate in the history of the nation. Mr. C. E. Hobhouse (Liberal ex-Min-ister) said that the situation was not desperate. _ The output of munitions, he said, had increased 200 per cent, since August. National compulsion was' not necessary; the voluntary system was sufficient, considering the illimitable resources of the nation. Mr. J. Hodge (Labour) said that strikes during the war wero -unthinkable. Nevertheless the increased cost of living had necessitated increased wages. The sacrifice of the principles of trades unionism was a trifle compared to the sacrifices of the gallant men in the trenches. Now that the workers realised the situation they would make a supreme effort to push on tho supply of munitions. They would rather give up everything than allow the Germans to be successful. Mr. Philip Snowden (Labour) protested against the trades unionists forfeit ing their rights. Mr. J: O'Grady (Labour) said that the time had .passed for acadeinio details. Trades unionists had received numerous letters from the' trenches appealing tothe workers to sacrifice their rules to enable tho troops to have a fair show. RESTRICTING COMPULSORY ARBITRATION. (Rec. July 1 ,0.25 a.m.) London, June 30. Mr. Lloyd George (Minister for Munitions) will introduce a clause into the Munitions Bill restricting compulsory arbitration to disputes interfering with the manufacture or transport of munitions, and also restoring the trade union regulations at the end of the war, and providing for compulsory arbitration for a year afterwards to little disputes connected with that restoration. ' The South Wales miners are disinclined to come under the Bill, but are prepared to do voluntarily all that is •required, and prevent strikes. Mr. Lloyd George is prepared to exempt these by a special clause. MEETINGS OF MUNITIONS COMPANIES. KYNOCH'S DECLARE 20 PER CENT. DIVIDEND. London, June 29. At the meeting of Kynoch, Ltd., at Birmingham (manufacturers of gunpowder, explosives, gas and oil engines, paper, ammunition, cordite, cycle > fittings,- and many other articles), a dividend of 20 per cent, was declared. Mr. Arthur Chamberlain, who presided, said that the company had placed at the Government's disposal the whole of its trade secrets, without remuneration. Much of the criticism of the War Office came from people without business training. There had berti some mistakes, but tho War Office's work on the whole had been done splendidly. The supply of drink should be drastically curtailed. Limitation of profits would result in a reduction and not an increase in output. John Brown and Co., Ltd.—ironmasters,- steel manufacturers, shipbuilders, engineers, with largo interests in Harland and Wolff, Coventry Ordnance Works, Collieries, etc. —show a profit of 12J per cent. Lord Aberconway, who presided at the meeting, said that if munitions were short it was not the fault of the armament firms. The Government had never encouraged them to do more; sometimes they found themselves in advance of the Government's demands. A foolish agitation had been engineered to limit armament firms' profits. If.the business had been expropriated it would have been more costly.. AUSTRALIA GETTING READY. Sydney, 1 June 30. Arrangements for the manufacture of munitions are progressing. Besides skilled workers, many in other occupations are offering their spare time and overtime. Tho assistance includes women.