GENERAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3249, 21 June 1916, Page 27

GENERAL ITEMS.

The Government is taking a of the crops and live stock in the United Kingdom. Buoyancy pervades the Stock Exchange, accompanied by a hardening of prices all round. Consols have reached £6l 7s 6d; Avar loans, £9O 5s and £96 12s 6d. The Manchester Guardian states that Mr Walter Long (President of the Local Government Board) will probably succeed Lord Kitchener at the War Office. The Press Bureau states that a bomb was discovered in the bilge of a grain steamer recently arrived in England from the United States. It must have been placed there just prior to loading, and it is believed it was done by some men working in the hold before'loading began. The Leipzig Neueste Nachrichten, in a scare article on the position of Germany's family life after the war, says that since 1914 half the marriageable women have remained single owing to the dearth of men. It suggests taxes ,to encourage marriage and discourage bachelordom. It urges that all families exceeding six in number should be completely freed from taxation, and that no unmarried official should receive an increase in salary, also that each new child should bring promotion to the father.

The Dally Chronicle says the Secre= taryship at the War Office has been offered to Mr Lloyd George, who has asked for three days to consider the matter. Sir Douglas Haig's despatches mention Captain E. Stocker, of the Liver* pool Regiment, and Nurse Conveys, of the New Zealanders. Australian wounded are beginning to arrive in London. One narrate! that the Saxons opposite the Australian trenches put a sign outside their barbed wire : " Leave us alone, and we'll leave you alone."

The Evening Standard says": " Notwithstanding the restrictions upon the liquor traffic, the sale of spirits, as compared with the year preceding the war, shows an increase of over 3,000,000 gallons. The Cardiff correspondent of the Central News Agency states that the large colliery proprietors and shipowners are arranging a combine, with a capital of £100,C00,000. A Zeppelin of the largest size and latest type was completely destroyed in South Belgium on Whit-Monday through the gondola bursting owing to a collision with the telegraph wires. The crew escaped with wounds.

The National Committee of Belgian Relief is arranging a children's Belgium Day on July 10. The children of the Empire are holding a sports meeting and concert in aid of the two and a-half million Belgians under 16 remaining in Belgium under German tyranny. The War Savings Committee urgently appeals to women to limit their purchase of dress material and the labour of making up to the narrowest possible limits. pfti&mittee advises women to alter

and adapt their existing clothes, and to purchase cottons instead of woollens and linen, as girls employed in dressmaking are needed to replace men. The committee also advises the utmost restriction in the purchase of footgear and leather.

An agitation has been started for a reduction in the price of whisky, following upon the reduction of strength to 25 per cent, under proof from July 1 by order of the Control Board.

Bad weather and hailstorms in all parts of Germany have caused most serious damage to the crops. The announcement of the German commandant of Libau that the German Government is promising a bounty of 20s for a boy and 10s for a girl, of whom a German Eoldier is the father and a Lettish woman the mother strikingly illustrates German intentions with regasfj to the Baltic provinces. The Australian members of Parliament were warmly welcomed at Johannesburg, especially by the Australian community. When interviewed, they were unanimously of opinion that Australia will attract a steady stream of the best blood from Great Britain after the war. S otland Yard has issued a warrant for the arrest of Robert Monteith on a charge of h : gh treason. It is believed that Monteith is in hiding in London. The Matin states that Flight-adjutant Ribiere brought down Captain Boelke, Germany's champion aviator, on the Verdun front.

A banking group lias closed for a loan of £12,000,000 for the Russian Government at the rate of 6$ per cent., payable at New York. It is officially announced that the torpedoer Eden was sunk as the result of a collision in the channel last night. One officer and 50 men were saved.

Fishermen at Oxeloesund saw two large German steamers sunk by gun fire on Friday morning. There is a general impression that Mr Lloyd George will succeed Lord Kitchener, and that probably another Minister of Munitions will be appointed, not necessarily a Cabinet Minister, who will be closely associated witli the War Secretary.

A demonstration in Hyde Park demanded the vigorous exclusion of alien enemies from all military areas and from Government employment. The Lokal Anzeiger states that all youths 17 years old in Germany have been ordered to report themselves to the military authorities. The value of the Argentine wool clip is estimated at £9,000.000. It is believed that it has been mainly bought by the German Government. As a result of food disturbances in Copenhagen, it is understood that the Danish Government is prohibiting the export of food until stocks are normal. Germany wilf be especially hard hit should this be done. •

The National Journal reflects the new compromising spirit of the "Little Engenders" towards Imperial reorganisation, stating that the admission of the dominions to a voice in the control of the foreign policy is urgent, and as to their representation, they could meet the Foreign Secretary periodically in Council of State as a reformed Upper House. When the dominions express their readiness to tax themselves for Imperia.l purposes on a scale similar to the burden of this country, closer union will be possible.