MOTHER COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17982, 26 December 1918, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

TRANSITION STAGE. RELEASING WORKERS FOR PEACE INDUSTRIES. A. and X.Z. Cablo Association and Beutei. (Received December 25, 5 p.m.) LONDON, December 22. Mr Churchiil, addressing a conference of the Trade Union Advisory Committee, and eniplovars, said that when

firing ceased on tho west front six weeks ago the Ministry of Munitions was at tho top of its form and had reached tho culminating point of output. It had a vast series of terrifying novelties in ieadiness for the 1919 campaign. Suddenly the task was swallowed up in victory. The Ministry was gradually relaxing control and stimulating alternative production, avoiding masses being out of empjoyment. Tho task was threefold —(1) Liquidation of contracts; (2; assisting firms to convert war industry into peace industry; (3) disposal of material and stores in war theatres, which were .worth a thousand millions sterling. The munitions effort culminated in the discharge on fifteen successive days on the west front of twelve thousand shells daily upon the reeling, quivering German front. The average shell production for October was 4/,000 tons weekly. The Ministry was reducing headquarters personnel and relinquishing commandeered hoteb. It was estimated that at the end of next week 200,000 workers would have left the Munitions' Department. Already 20,000 out of an inspection staff of 40,000 to 50,000 women had been released. Within a few days of the armistice the majority of restrictions on material had been swept away to enable diversion to peace purposes, but during tho war practically all available steel had been used, therefore dislocation of engineering shops was inevitable for some months. There was no reason fco apprehend a shock or setback for the steel industry. British steel works already were fully occupied. The fixing of home prices, coupled with the gradual removal of subsidies, had steadied the iron and steel trades. Largo Government stocks of non-ferrous metals had been placed on tho market at fixed prices, calculated to encourage trade. The Ministry was doing its utmost to develop alternative industrial production during tho _ transitional period. An effort was being made to obtain orders from Government departments, also from the dominions. He urged every man to find a peace job. If all would pull together with the same loyalty as during the period of great anxiety the great industries soon would resume their natural activity. KING'S FUND. , DISABLED MEN SET UP IN BUSINESS. (Received December 25, 5 p.m.) LONDON, December 21. The King's fund for disabled service men has already set up eight thousand in their own businesses.

SOLDIERS' GRAVES. THE TEMPORARY CROSSES. LONDON, December 2jL Sir Thomas Mackenzie, on 'behalf of the Graves Commission, announced that the temporary crosses for soldiers' graves will be saved for relations and friends if they wish for a memento.

WAR CASUALTIES. SOUTH AFRICA'S SHARE. R*uter's Telegrams. (Received December 26, 1 a.m.) LONDON, December 24. A message from Cape Town states that it is estimated that South African casualties in the war, comprising the rebellion, East, West and Central Africa, and overseas were:—tiSOO killed, of whom 4630 kere killed in Europe; wounded and gassed, 11,500.