WANT OF MUNITIONS

Otago Witness, Issue 3193, 26 May 1915, Page 26

WANT OF MUNITIONS

SLACKNESS IN SCOTLAND. LONDON, May 18. The Times Glasgow correspondent

writes: “I have a very unpalatable message to give the public concerning the production of munitions in the North. Only alter much hesitation and consultation with responsible persons have I decided to write. If there was any prospect of improvement I would not speak, but a strong force of public opinion is needed in the North. Tire country is living in a foul’s paradise, and I believe the Government is, too. “ The chief cause of the position is the attitude of certain sections of organised Labour. The impression prevails that the trade unions have relaxed their rules limiting the output of work on the urgent appeal of the Government, and are doing their best to deliver the goods. This may be correct in some cases, but in others these limitations have not been relaxed, and the men are working far below their capacity. Often there is deliberate manipulation; the pieceworkers drag out the job, taking double the time, although earning double and triple the ordinary pay. The men are not only idling, but prevent others from working, and the engineers are the worst. “The effectsiare most felt in the ammunition shops, where the increased output is most urgent. In many a shop I’ve seen the machines idle and the men standing on one side. If these men had ‘ laid ’ the machine all the engineers would come out on strike. It is obvious, that if these conditions extend the factories will be useless. It is fighting suffocating ghs manu factured at Home.”

In Glasgow 170.0Q0 total abstinence pledges have been taken for the period of the war, this being equal to one-sixth of the population. The King has visited the Clyde shipyards. I NEW ZEALAND’S OFFER. LONDON, May 18. I Mr L. Harcourt, in the House of Commons, said the Government heartily appreciated the offer of New Zealand mechanics , to assist in the manufacture of munitions, 1 but in view of the distance, the uncertainty regarding numbers, and the difficulties of ascertaining the exact degree of 1 skill, it was impossible to arrange for their transport to Britain. No doubt if qualified works for the highly skilled class of engineering and shipyard labour came here prepared to accept British standard wages, they would readily be placed in employment by the armament firms. AUSTRALIAN SMALL ARMS FACTORY MANAGER. MELBOURNE, May 19. The Minister of Defence (Senator Pearce) has announced that Mr Wright, manager of the Commonwealth Small Arms Factory, has resigned and accepted an offer to take charge of rifle works for an ally of Great Britain with whom an enormous order for rifles has been placed. Arrangements are being made to appoint a successor to Mr Wright. IMMATURE SPIRITS BILL. LONDON, May 18. Discussing the Immature Spirits Restriction Bill in the House of Commons, Mr Lloyd George admitted that the measure was battered salvage from a wreck. The proposal had been tried in Canada and found a valuable provision. In Australia the consumption of immature spirits caused a violent form of drunkenness. Experiments in one country with mature spirits showed that one man became drunk but Liendly, another was given raw spirits and became violent, offensive, and disagreeable. UNION SUCCESSES IN SOUTH-WEST AFRICA. ROYAL CONGRATULATIONS. CAPETOWN, May 18. Official : The Union forces have taken 140 prisoners eastward of Windhoek, and captured 25 wagons of provisions. The King has cabled to General Botha and his troops his Royal congratulations on the capture of Windhoek.

HELPING BELGIUM. LONDON, May 18. At the* first meeting of the National Committee for the Relief bf Belgium, held at the- Mansion House, the Hon. T. Maci kenzie sMd that New Zealand had conI tributed £216,000, including £50,000 from Canterbury. New Zealand recognised Belgium’s splendid stand for liberty, and regarded it as a duty and a privilege to help her. The Lord Mayor acknowledged Britain’s indebtedness for the New Zealanders’ valiant efforts. AMERICA’S FLEET REVIEWED. NEW YORK, May 18. President Wilson reviewed warships of ali classes lying in the Hudson River on the eve of their departure for manoeuvres off the Atlantic coast. A parade was held in the city streets, and such popular enthusiasm has not been witnessed since Admiral Dewey’s victorious fleet returned. Elaborate precautions were taken to guard the life of the President, the warmth of whose reception is regarded as showing the solidarity of the nation for his policy. BRITISH “REPRISAL” PRISONERS. LONDON, May 18. An American Consul visited the 15 British “reprisal’’ prisoners at Cologne. All were in excellent health. The conditions had been radically improved. They are confined in an old military prison used for delinquent German commissioned and non-commissioned -officers. It is a gloomy, forbidding place, approximately clean, but the cells are small and dark. The officer’s are supplied with the same food as other interned officers, with reading and writing materials and a bathroom, and are treated courteously by the warders. GENERAL NEWS. LONDON, May 18. Captain Curwen, formerly aide-de-camp to Sir Ronald Munro-Ferguson (commonwealth Governor-general), has been killed in action. Lord Derby, in a speech at Wigan, said the Jockey Club had told the Prime Minister that he had only to say the word and racing would be stopped immediately. The Goodwood race meeting has been abandoned. The Transylvania sighted a submarine astern on Sunday evening. The Transylvania zigzigged and altered her course. COPENHAGEN, May 18. Berlin advices state that the millionaire Senator Possel, of Lubeck, owner of Swedish and Norwegian mrnes, has been arrested for treason in supplying England with metal and other goods. He presented Germany with a Zeppelin in 1914. SELLING NEW GUINEA STAMPS. SYDNEY, May 19. A court-martial is being held on Second Lieutenant George William Moore, charged on two counts with disobeying his superior officer’s orders. Moore’s defence was that at no time were administrative orders issued restricting the sales of stamps, though there was an order restricting their sale to collectors and dealers. He considered this orderapplied only to the case of persons other j than troops. ’ _ j Under cross-examination he admitted j writing to a dealer -offering for sale stamps worth respectively 13d and 5d in Rabaul for £3O, telling the dealer they were hard to get because of the administrative orders issued against their sale to dealers. The court-martial did not announce its decision. Colonel Holmes stated that he received specific instructions merely to occupy and not to annex New Guinea, which was still German under the Kaiser’s jurisdiction. GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN WORKERS. SYDNEY, May 19. | The City Council has decided to obtain a report regarding Germans and Austrians in its employ being continued in such em-

ployment. Certain of its employees have been adversely criticised. The local Coal Lumpers’ Union is to hold a stop-work meeting to consider whether, in view of recent happenings, they should continue working alongside Germans, Austrians, or Turks. ALLEGED GERMAN SPIES. LONDON, May 18. j The trial opened before Mr Justice Avory and Mr Justice Lush at the Old Bailey of Kuepferle, an alleged German spy. In the trial of Kuepfefle the evidence showed that lemons and formaline were used for invisible writing found on Kuepforle. Also, he attempted to communicate by means of a letter with another German while in prison. Sir J. A. Simon intimated that he would read the invisible i letter in camera. ! HIGH COMMISSIONER’S : CABLES. I LONDON, May 19 (3 a.m.). ! Army : Officers —killed 27, wounded 41, missing 39; men—killed 142, wounded 202, missing 3. Dardanelles.—Army ; Officers—killed 2, wounded 12. Naval: Officers—killed 2, wounded 1; men—killed 2, wounded 128.