IN BRITAIN.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 926, 29 January 1917, Page 8

IN BRITAIN.

THE COUNTRY'S CREDIT,

HUGE FIGURES. Australian and r NY. Cable Association. LONDON, January 20. Sir 11. E. 11. Holden, who presided at the annual meeting of the London City and Midland Bank, said that the country was overflowing with money and credit. The credit of the Bank of England before the war was £40,000.000, but this had increased to £145,000,000 at the end of 1016. It was essential that all holders of treasury bits should convert at least half of them into war loan stock. By this means £500,000,000 would not become payable now, and would be equivalent to subscribing £500,000,000 new money. Large profits were being made in consequence of the high price of commodities. Much of these profits had been used in the purchase of treasury bills. These large sums would not be required after Ihe war. It would be impossible to find remunerative employment for the banks' large holdings and deposits then. The money outflow from the banks would go into securities, which would rise in price. The German note issue totalled £801,000',00(), while the British issue was only £105,000,000. The German percentage of gold to notes was 15.7, whereas ours was 22. During the war we had sent to America £215,000,000 in gold. The American banking system required a fixed reserve of 15 per cent, to cover loans. On that basis we were entitled to a loan of £1,400,000,000, of which the Allies had received £430,000,000.

CONSCRIPTING WEALTH. GOVERNMENT WOULD BE JUSTIFIED. Australian and N£. Cable Association. LONDON, January 27. Lord Rhondda, in a speech at Newport, said that he considered the Government would be justiiied in conscripting the entire wealth and property, as well as the manhood of the country. It was not necessary at present, but could only be averted by voluntary contributions to the war loan. NATIONAL SERVICE. VOLUNTEERS AT PRESENT. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, January 27. Mr Neville Chamberlain's National Service scheme will come into operation almost immediately. A semi-official statement asserts that the details follow closely the lines already indicated. Men volunteers only will be taken at present. They will be wanted principally for munitions work, coal mines, shipbuilding, transport, and agriculture. The standard rate of wages will be paid. - The age limit will be from 18 to 60, and the men will be needed to go wherever they are required. WORK FOR WOMEN. A NEW SCHEME. Australian and N. 7.. Cable Association. (Received January 29, 10.40 a.m.') LONDON, January 28. Mr Neville Chamberlain (Director of National Service), explains that he is preparing early a scheme to utilise the woman-power in a way similar to the man-power, but not on the same scale. The scheme will probably include girls from sixteen and women up to 18 or 50. THE FOOD SUPPLY. AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE. A. and N'.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, January 27.

It is officially announced that a committee of representative agriculturists has been appointed to advise the Board of Agriculture in connection with the increased production of food. A special department of the latter question will be to coordinate the work of the country committees, and to serve as a count-ing-house in the way of meeting requests for labour, fertilisers, etc. The farmers are making increased efforts in relation to the harvest of 1917, and plans are being prepared for increased production in 1918.

THE DARDANELLES. ISSUE OF A REPORT. Renter's Telegrams. LONDON, January 26. 1( is understood that the opinions of the members of the Dardanelles Commission are pretty evenly divided on the question of issuing any report before the conclusion of the war, although a draft interim report has already been prepared. This covers the investigation into the responsibility of the High Command for the initiation of the campaign. The commission is now inquiring into the later phase of the military operations on the Peninsula. LABOUR CONFERENCE. VARIOUS RESOLUTIONS. Retiter'a Teh'i/rams. LONDON, January 2(1. The Labour Conference passed a resolution protesting against Hie abuse of the powers given (lie authorities under the Defence of the Realm Acl, and complaining that military compulsion was applied inequitably, and expressing alarm at the proposals for industrial conscription. The conference unanimously protested against the deportation of forced labour to France and ! Belgium, and protested against at-! tempts lo introduce cheap coloured! labour in Britain. i A resolution was also passed that i the Government should purchase all I imported foodstuffs in the country where they were produced, and arrange for their transport and (lis- 1 tribution at inscribed minimum prices; also that the Government! should similarly control homegrown foodstuffs. Another resolution declared that J the workers should oppose the; policy of the Paris Economic Conference, and demand free trade with every country, with safeguards for the maintenance of labour conditions fixed by the introduction of trades union agreements.

A RADICAL CHANGE. THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE. Australian anil X.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, January 20. The Labour Conference passed a resolution by 1,123,000 votes against 1,107,000 providing for the election of .sixteen representatives on the National Executive, and that afliliated organisations should be restricted to the nomination of one candidate unless their membership exceeded 50,000. This change strikes a blow against the Pacifists and Independent Labourites, and also reduces the Socialist representation. These sections will possibly withdraw from the Executive. THE CLYDE"TROUBLE. AN INVESTIGATION. Australian and N.Z Cable Association. LONDON, January 26. A Labour conference committee has been appointed to investigate the charges made against Mr A. Henderson regarding the Clyde deportations. Mr Henderson said that Mr Lloyd George had not replied to the conference's telegram. SCHOOL AGE. SHOULD BE RAISED. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, January 27. The Labour Conference passed a resolution in favour of raising the age for leaving school to sixteen, with compulsory part-time attendance to the age of eighteen, and in favour of better salaries for teachers. COINAGE - REFORM. A BILL PROMOTED. "The Times" Rerrite. (Received January 29, 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, January 23. The Chambers of Commerce Association is drafting a Bill for the reform of the coinage and weights and measures systems. It is suggesting that the florin be used as the unit representing the tenth of a sovereign. THE WAR LOAN. A CHURCH SUBSCRIPTION. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received January 29, 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, January 28. The Church of Ireland has subscribed £140,000 to the War Loan. A WOMEN'S DEPARTMENT. TO ENSURE PROPER RECRUITING. Australian and X.Z. Cable Association. (Received January 29, 10.40 a.m.) LONDON, January 28. Mrs Ray Strachey, honorary assistant secretary of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, which has placed some thousands of women volunteers on munition work, urges Mr Neville Chamberlain to establish a Women's Department, staffed and controlled entirely by women. She urges that under his direction the department could ensure a proper recruitment and selection of women suited to the respective tasks. The women could also be inspected and cared for by women and fed and housed according to their needs.

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATION. By Cahle. — Press Asxociation. — Copyright. MELBOURNE, January 28. Mr Hushes, in commenting upon Mr Lloyd George's interview upon the Empire Cabinel, said that owing to doubt as to what the conference would deal with he had hitherto purposely refrained from expressing any opinion as to the necessity for direct representation. It was now clear that it was imperative that Australia should be directly represented.