AFTER THE WAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17659, 24 June 1919, Page 8

AFTER THE WAR

USE-OF ENEMYI PATENTS. (Fbom Oub Own Corhespondsnt.) c . ... LONDON, April 29. several applications to use enemy patents have been made to tho Controller. For instance, tho Birmingham Small Arms Company has asked for a licenso in respect of a German patent machine for tho stamping and eyeing of needles. Before the wn? t ley were produced solely in Germany, and tlio B.S.A. proposes to utilise work's that hayo been engaged on munitions in turning out the necessary machines so that we can hold tho trado that hns been captured from the Germans. The Controller intimated that the grant of a liccmso would be recommended. In another case. Messrs J. Dickinson and Co., of Hcmel Hempstead, asked for a lioenew in respect of a German that produces envelope and inner lining in one operation, and the application was granted. SALE OF ARMY HORSES. It is estimated that by April 26 approximately 90,000 army horses were disposed of Great Britain, at an average price of C ''£i h ' a total of over £3,000,000. Tho animals sold by the Wa>Office hero and abroad, for work or for ™f at .n'' m ber 343,916, and they fetched iJ.1.0t0,091. Tlio sale have exceetled tho highest, expectations, not only in,this country. but m all tho theatres of wa. T where animala havo had to bo disposed of locally. Iho pripes havo steadily climbed upward and instead of being lowered by the fact of greater numbers 'being available, they were raised, A recent averago price was £45 per head. FEEDINGr GERMANY. Mr G, H. Hobexts, tlic Food Oontroller, reports that so iar as this country is concerned the food shortage is rapidly becoming a matter of past history, but the same, unfortunately, could not bo said of the Continent. During March supplies amounting to hundreds of thousands of tons were ■distributed throughout jtho enemy and liberated territories under the direction of tho Supremo Economic Council. Excluding Germany and Bulgaria, but infcluding German Austria, 11,780 tons of food were being delivered by the Allies per day during March to avert starvation. Tho financial tonnage and food arrangements for Germany wero not completed till March 14, but already thousands of tons of foodstucs havo been actually delivered ins : de German territory, while for the month of April it was estimated that the import into Germany would bo well over 100,000 tons. In the liberated areas of Central and Eastern Europe, plans arc being formulated for . m systematic feeding of over a million children. ACCORDING TO QUALITY. A new system of cliarging for gas—in eiiect payment by quality ana not quantity —has been recommended to the Board of lrade by tho Fuel Research Board. It is suggested by the board that the most satisfactory inc-thod will bo to charge; for the number o£ heat units in the gas. The foLowung instance is £ivon: A gas company charges 4a 2d per I<JOO cubic feet for gas ?• units fter cubic foot standard. If tho company coiftinue to supply gas of the same quality, the only change would be that it might render the account for 4s 2d for 600,030 heat units—which is exactly tho same thing. But if the company decide to reduce the quality of 400 heat units per cubic ft. thoy would still charge 4s 2d for 500,000 head units, only they would have to supply 1200 cubic ft. instead of 1000 for the 4s 2d. If the companies make a largo difference in the quality of tho gAs most of the burners will need adjustment, and mis will have to be done at the company's expense. Considerable notice would be made prior to any alteration. -A LESSON FROM OVERSEAS. An outstanding feature of Smithfield meat market during the last quarter has been tho line display of overseas meat—probably tho finest as regards dressing, quality, and condition ever seen at Smithfield. The display has afforded a lesson to the home trade, for it showed what is being ace(4m-. plished by cattle raisers and meat producers many thousands of miles distant, and has again exemplified the science of. refrigeration, which enables the meat to be marketed in splendid competitive condition, second to none. • Supplies are in striking contrast to those of a year ago, and the call for easement of every kind of control restraint is already apparent, and will bec.ome imperative with the approach of the warm season if needless waste is to be avoided, and the Central markets are to fulfil thenoriginal and essential purpose—the merchandising and distribution of meat on ordinary commercial lines. During the last three months the proportion of boef supplies in relation to mutton has been as 4 to 1' "normally it was about 2 to 1; and the populace is looking for mutton and lamb in place of boef, which has become a monotonous diet. THE ACCOMMODATION PROBLEM. During the war, ono by one, the Government took possession of 23 hotels in London—somo of them tho largest; ana up to the present they have released only one— the Victoria, in Northumberland avenue— though when it will be ready for its original purpose is unknown. Hie Cecil is promised next, but as the Air Ministry will be in Possession there for another two months, the date for its reception of visitors is quite speculative. Some of tho favourite hotels have given a month's notice to their regular guests,- maintaining that it is fairer in the interests of visitors to London from abroad; for many months past no hotel ■would book anyono for more than a fort nigixt, and daily has the question, been asked, within that period, "Will you require your room to-night?" Ordinarily the coming 'season, would have been a record for every class of hotel, since, with the signing of peace and the celebrations to follow, thousands of visitors will be attracted to the metropolis. In the circumstances the problem of accommodation is insoluble. With tho Government in possession, hotel owners ha-ve no power to inspect their property, and consequently have no grounds fo forming even approximate estimates of hoiv long the work of restoration will take, while i.labour and materials further complicate a complicated question. PROFITS OF WOOL SPINNERS AU clothing is still very dear, and ono has to ; for a suit of a lady's coat and skirt that before the war could bo had xor i>3 at the outside. Prospcet of relief seems very distant. It is stated on authority and not denied by those concerned, that wool bought from the farmer at an average price of Is 9d per Ib-wliich can be made into yarn at about 4s per Ibis sold at the shops at over lis a lb leaving a, profit of 7s per lb to the spinner! A merchant recently returned from the I i States says that orders were accepted for thousands of pieces of cloth at less than one-half tho prices obtained in Lngland .ast year. He had five orders amounting to £20,(XX) in America for "oods to export to Canada, money which would have been spent in Yorkshire if tho goods could have been obtained at. comparable prices. If some of this Amcrican-made cloth could be. imported hero it would reduce the price of tho home-made material but when the Import Restrictions Department was recently to issue a license to import textile manufactured goods from America, the reply was that "these are prohibited goods, and no licenses are availa. ! 0 at present." Before the war the protits of <&, certain well-known firm of spinners . a " ufa ? turc , rs Yorkshire amounted to f in the first year the profits readied £24,502; m the second Tear £30,717; in tho third year, £32,337: in the fourth year, £39,520—an averago for the four years of about £32,000, left after payment of all taxes, and. in spite of the higher cost of machinery and repairs and raw material. The middle and working classes arc the chief bearers of the burden of all-round increases; the former havo to make ends meet with incomes practically stationary, and the latter havo had advances approximating to the increase in tho cost of bare existence. HIGHER LAUNDRY PRICES. The middle class, too, now has to faco the increased cost of having its washing done at laundries. Prices did advance during the war, and there was a war tax of a few pence in the shilling in addition, due to cost of materials. Now there is to bo a further rise, because people employed in the London laundries aro to be better paid and to have shorter hours. Better conditions for workers aro all-essential, but tho PuMic has to pay for ~them_ all; and tho middle class, with stationary incomes, bears the brunt. Even the tram traveller has had his faro to the city increased 100 per cent, within tho last year. —A boll only Sin high and 2£rn in diameter at the base was sold recently in London for 1250g5. It is of bronze 'gi't, with hum in heads engraved on two side panels. For centuries it has been a relic venerated by the peasantry of West Jmland. According to tradition it descended from heaven ringing loudly to St. Finan, patron of the seven churches of Scattery a holy island near . the mouth of the bhannon. Throughout Galway it was believed that anyone who told a lie after being sworn on tfie golden bell would havo his mouth twisted, and down to th£ middle of the last century it was successfully •nsed for the discovery of information. all other means failed.