BRITAIN'S PART.

North Otago Times, Volume CIII, Issue 13652, 21 August 1916, Page 2

BRITAIN'S PART.

WAR FUND CONTRfBUTIONS. : FRANCHISE. AND SOCIAL REFORM.' ■ U'er Oalile—Press AHBOCiatioo —Copyright.) . •; (Australian'arid K'A. Cable iVsVociatron.7 ••" -""' Received Aiigiist'l9, 5.5 p.m. • ' LONDON,' August 19.'. The Prince- of Wales' ffflid totals, nearly £0,000,U00, more than, half's of . which has been distributed. •- '■':',: • Tlie Kitchener fund' totulsf 230,000. .•:':. ("Rcutur's Tclugrams.") Received August' li), y.'s'.p.in. LONDON, August 19.,.' ' Mr J; W. Gulland ■ (Parliamentary,•,. Under-Secretary to tlie Treasury) is re-• - v ported to have told a' suffrage deputa- '.. tion; that there has been recently '»•;. great advance. In the attitude of the ' Government towards., women's'suffrage .•; The,ciil'rbi'liiscmciitv'of women 'was,-;.-practically certain, but there were a'lpt . of old : fasliioncd.,piejudices' in'. Parlia-, . inent.' 'He advised the women to refrain 7 from, agitation at .present. . . .., ■> ■■>■• •■ Six'ty-iive thousand claims.have been, made! for.'.as'sistaiic'iJ' .'under l ' tlie '.Govern- . niont's schen'io to relieve soldle/fl';.'of.'. civil liabilities. The amount' is'"f{ir.'los3 than was anticipated by the Government. Half the' claims have already . been met. The average grants amount to £l7lO/-. ("The Times" Service.) Received' August IU, 5.5 p.m. "' LONDON, August 18. • ■ Tho War' Emergency Workers' Committee carriciU resolution urging the withdrawal of the Begistration Bill and the appointment of a 'Select Committee to consider the .re-distribution: of. adult" suffrage. ■The Clyde trades sent a. deputation to the Hon. H. W. TenuauUgairist further liquor restriction in Glasgow, including the'closing of hotels at nine", o'clock on Saturday night until Tues-. day morning, The deputation declared that'these restrictions would probably cause strikes. '' : ' .. Mr Tcunant promised to consult Mr Asquith. ~ ■' v ' . THE WASTE OP WAR. '. ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE'S .CRITICISM. ' (Australian and- N,Z. Cable Association.). •, Received August 20, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, August 19. The Public Accounts Committee in its report for 1914-1915 criticises the extravagant payments for billeting and the waste of rales and large .commissions to brokers. The naval deficit is £51,751,000, and tho army deficit £211,867,.000. The Ministry of Munitions effected substantial reductions in prices, de- • spite the increased cost of labour and materials, by compelling contractors to ', supply statements of manufacturing •' costs' and exercising rcquisitionary powers. The committee regrets that the Admiralty did not possess a similar ■system, before the war, of breaking contractors' rings, and is only now slowly introducing the. system. The Govern- ' inent effected, a saving of £11,000,000 annually in sand bags alone, by taking ''bver'lhe jute trade. A sum'of £40,000 - was lost in the purchase of unsuitable ' horses in Ireland. Inferior ahiinals ill' substitution of those" bought. < The Army Council's refusal to re-consider, until the end of the war; the system of paying retired, and active service pay to retired officers re-join-ing the service, involves a cost of £700,000 annually. Civil servants and'' naval officers do not enjoy a similar concession. The cost of hutting the troops, hospital patients and horses:in the United Kingdom totals £24,500,000; Received August 20, 5,5 p.m, LONDON, August 19. : An Order-in-Council empowers .'the Board of Trade to obtain information whether good's of any description arebeing held to prejudice national interest. This is to prevent the cornering ' of supplies. Ecceived August 20, 5.5 p.m. . LONDON, August 19. The prohibition of exports to Sweden is gazetted.