MOTHER COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17077, 28 January 1916, Page 8

MOTHER COUNTRY.

RESTRICTING LUXURIES.

30VERNMENT TAKING ; STEPS. The High Commissioner reports : -• : / LONDON, January;26.. -Mr, Runcinian said the Government was taking steps to restrict unnecessary imports, 'and that a fuller statement would be,made later. . ,

LIQUOR RESTRICTIONS.

• CONVICTIONS REDUCED. By: Telegraph—Presg Association—Copyright. •' ' LONDON, January 26. . In. the House of Commons MrAddijoh announced that the convictions for drunkenness in the principal restricted >reas in England bad fallen one-half. Scotland's figures were less satisfactory, although there had been a substantial reduction.

CLOSING MUSEUMS.

; \VILL SAVE £50,000 ANNUALLY

\ (Received January 27, 5.5 p.m.)

' ; ' LONDON, January 26. ifhe Government has decided to close all art .'galleries and museums- except the'National Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museuni«...«.Tlii.s; r ,,Tv;ill, save £50;000 annually and .will, also ."safeguard them again&t air raids. • .

INDIA'S HELP.

GIFTS. AND MEN POURING IN. SIMLA, January 26. All over India efforts to assist-the Allies are steadily proceeding. Gifts of a public and private nature continue to pour in. Besides the Government factories, all the workshops of the great railway systems are engaged in the manufacture of. munitions, transport waggons and other war material. Many ruling' princes have also lent their workshops. The aeroplane fund is being strongly - supported, .and .already £45,000 has been remitted to Britain for the first twenty aeroplanes. , •Amongst many magnificent gifts' the Maharajah of Gwalior has given three additional aeroplanes for the Mesopotamia expedition. . Recruiting on the whole is generally very satisfactory. "The response of ■the,Gburkas is particularly good. Mahommedans, Sikhs, and Rajputs are also, coming in freely from certain districts.' •"

AUSTRALIA'S TROOPS.

• I MR FISHER AT TOULON. '".' .(Received/January 27, 10.30 p.m.) - . LONDON, January 26. 'Mr Fisher, at" an official welcome at Toulon, .stated that Australia had already offered to send a further 100,000 troops. '

CAPITAL PENALTY.

NUMBER INCONSIDERABLE. '■ :v "' . LONDON, January ,26. • 1 1n /the House of Common Mr Tennant; replying te a question, said-that • no Britsh soldier had been shot in the JUnjted Kingdom for military offences, 'it was not in the public interest to state the number shot in the forces •overseas, but the number was inconsiderable.

f APPEAL FOR HELP.

' ENTERTAINMENT "OF TROOPS. LONDON, January 26. < At-a meeting at the Mansion House, I the Lord Mayor presiding, Miss Lena Asbtfoll, the actress appealed for Australasian assistance to continue concerts in the hospitals at the front, and especially the concert party which was point: to Malta and Egypt.