IN BRITAIN.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1735, 5 September 1919, Page 5

IN BRITAIN.

THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE. By Cahlc. — Press Association. — Covvright. (A- & N.Z-) LONDON, Sept. 3. The Triple Alliance will move a vote of censure on the Parliamentary Committee at the forthcoming Glasgow Congress for refusing to call a special congress in connection with its demands for the repeal of conscription, the withdrawal of the troops from Russia, etc., and for failing to meet the Government challenge. DEMAND FOR ECONOMY. (A. & N.Z.) LONDON, Sept. 4. Lord Islington, in a letter to the newspapers, points out that none of the legislation of the past session aimed at economy. On the contrary, it involves gigantic expenditure. The Government also proposes to spend millions on reconstruction schemes wdien the country is going towards bankruptcy, but it must revise and modify it's national and Imperial policy. Our victory has lifted us into an embarrassingly prominent position, but we cannot afford to maintain this world-wide condition of being the dictators and purveyors of civilisation in Europe, Asia, and Africa. We must decide now what we must do and what.we cannot and should not do. The taxpayer should immediately be relieved of some of these outside burdens, especially in connection with countries requiring administration and garrisoning, which are incapable now or in the immediate future of paying their way. Such policy will entail a sharp modification of the policy hitherto followed, and in some cases involve a violent reversal of policy, but we must redeem our crushing debt, and place the country on the path to a prosperous peace.

MUNITIONS EXPENDITURE. (A. & N.Z.) LONDON, Sept. 3. Mr F. G. Kellaway, Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions, was the guest at a luncheon at the Savoy. He vigorously defended the Ministry. He said it was not Ludendorff's views that our supply of high explosives was excessive. The national factories, which were now described as wasteful and white elephants, had crushed the life out of the German army. The Ministry's Headquarters Staff was 21,544 at the Armistice, 13,844 at the end of July, and would be 9800 by the middle of October. Terms were now being fixed for settling 30,000 outstanding contracts with State liabilities of £347,000,000, whereunder the liability would be reduced to £100,000,000.' The Disposal Board had sold £80,000,000 worth of property, and had also realised £105.000,000 in the trading account. The board was realising £2,000,000 weekly, and h\d recently arrived at an agreement by which France would receive the surplus stores on the Continent at the British valuation. FOOD PRICES. (A. & N.Z.) LONDON, Sept. 4. Mr C. A. McCurdy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Food Ministry, in an address to the Consumers' Council, prophesied no reduction in food prices during the winter, because they were regulated bv world conditions. "An archangel couldn't do it," he said. The high prices were due to the raising of the blockade of Central Europe, the fall in exchanges, increased wages, and diminished production. He would endeavour to eliminate speculators and all middlemen who were not normally engaged in trading in food.