BRITISH AFFAIRS

Southland Times, Issue 19295, 5 August 1921, Page 5

BRITISH AFFAIRS

NATURALISATION LAWS UNIFORM IMPERIAL LEGISLATION (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Reuter’s Telegrams.) LONDON, August 3. (Received August 4, 11.5 p.m.) In the House of Commons at question time Mr Shortt stated that the Imperial Conference agreed to recommend to the Dominion Governments a proposal to amend the nationality law so to provide for the acquisition of British nationality by persons of British descent born abroad. An agreement ought to be reached with the overseas governments before legislation was introduced in England. Steps were being taken to obtain agreement, and he would endeavour to expedite the conference with the dominions so as to introduce legislation at the beginning of next session. LICENSING BILL PASSED. HOURS OF TRADING. LONDON, August 3. The House of Commons sat till 3.45 this morning and read the Licensing Bill a third time. The Bill provides that public houses shall be open eight hours daily in the provinces, nine hours in London, and five hours on Sundays. It permits drinking in restaurants till 12.30, and abolishes the bona fide traveller. THE COST OF LIVING. IRISH LABOUR DISCUSSION. LONDON, August 3. (Received August 4, 5.5 p.m.) The Irish Labour Party and the Trade Union Congress at Dublin debated the cost of living and the proposed all round reductions in wages. The executive combated the official estimates of the present cost of living, which they contended was 178 per cent, above the pre-war level compared with the official figure of 132 per cent. The chairman declared that there would very shortly occur one of the greatest upheavals in the Irish labour movement’s history. One delegate proposed taking up the employers’ challenge en masse, adding. ‘That means facing the possibility of a social revolution.” EMIGRATION RETURNS. INCREASED OUTFLOW TO AMERICA. LONDON, August 3. (Received August 4, 5.5 p.m.) The Board of Trade return of overseas passenger traffic in the first half of 1921 shows a decrease of 23,594 emigrants to places within the Empire, and an increase of 4,899 emigrants to the United States, compared with 1920. This is principally due to Irish emigration to America in the first quarter. The total outward balance of oversea passengers for the half year is 61,769 compared with 69,041 for last year, and 157,779 in the first half of 1913. EMIGRATION OF EX-SERVICE MEN,. RESULTS TO DATE. LONDON, August 3. Replying to a question in the House of Commons, Colonel Amery said that since the Armistice the Government had sent exservice men and their families, numbering 54,145, overseas, of whom 17,197 went to Australia and 9,075 to New Zealand. The total expenditure was £1,038,000, which was entirely borne by the Home Government. THE PRICE OF COAL. EXPORTERS AND THE GOVERNMENT. LONDON, August 3. (Received August 4, 5.5 p.m.) The Coal Exporters’ Association has written to Mr Lloyd George protesting against the present high prices of coal, which they declare are contrary to the spirit of the settlement under which the Government provided £10,000,000 in order to enable the collieries to recover the home and export trade. The Association maintains that there is danger of a glut owing to the present high output. There is a danger of this leading to short time at the mines and precipitating another crisis. The Ministry of Mines points out that prices are now entirely a matter of supply and demand.

The Board of Trade reports that the output for the week ended July 23, amounted to 4,332,000 tons, compared with 3,925,000 tons in the previous week, and 4,284,000 in the corresponding week in 1920. There are still 131 coal mines idle, involving 26,000 men. A further 93 pits, employing 29,000 men, have recommenced work since July 23. SHIP JOINERS’ STRIKE. WORK DIVERTED ABROAD. LONDON, August 3. The Federation of Shipbuilding Employers’ meeting at Edinburgh considered the failure to end the ship joiners’ strike. They regarded the position as most serious in view of orders going abroad and the absence of orders in the home yards. The meeting decided that it could not make the joiners a new offer. DEPARTMENTAL ECONOMIES. A SELECT COMMITTEE. LONDON, August 3. Sir Robert Horne informed Mr J. R. Clynes in the House of Commons that the Cabinet had decided, in view of Departmental replies to the Treasury “economy” circular, to appoint a select committee of business men to deal with reductions in expenditure. GOVERNMENT OF LONDON. ROYAL COMMISSION TO BE APPOINTED LONDON, August 3. (Received August 4, 5.5 p.m.) Sir Alfred Mond, in the House of Commons, said the Government had decided to appoint a Royal Commission to consider the question of the government of Greater London. The last similar commission was held in 1883, from which the London County Council was created. RAIN IN LONDON. PROTRACTED DROUGHT BROKEN. LONDON, August 2. London’s seventy-day drought broke today, when ten points of rain fell in a thunder shower lasting an hour.