COMMONWEALTH

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144712, 22 June 1915, Page 3

COMMONWEALTH

THE AUSTRALIAN FORCE. FAR SMALLER THAN OURS. (Received Juno 22, 10 a.m.) MELBOURNE, June 22. Mr. Pearce, speaking at a recruiting meeting in the Town Hail, said Australia nad done more than anybody expected, having sent 63,522 men, while 18,978 were in training, and she was pledged to send five thousand reinforcements each month. She must set out to do what she can to double, or even treble, these figures. Recruiting could be very much better, especially in Victoria. Tho British authorities had informed them that every man was wanted. They knew there would’be difficulties in the way of equipment which the Government could surmount. He was confident that with the realisation of the issue Australia could double the number of men in tho field. [Australia has 83,500 men at the front or in training. With a population of five millions, she has provided 16,700 men for each million. New Zealand, with a population of one million, has about 26,(XK) men at the front or in training. Canada hopes shortly to have raised 150,000 men, or about 21,000 mon per million.] A PRO-GERMAN TALKER. BROUGHT BEFORE THE COURT. (Received Juno 22, 9.0 a.m.) MELBOURNE, June 22. In an argument with other men, Leslie Bentley praised the Germans, calling them the cleverest race on earth and tile German Emperor a clever man ■but too much of a tyrant. Referring to the Australians and New Zealanders killed-at-tha Dardanelles ..-he.said: “It * J

is good enough for them. They went-' looking for it and got it.” Bentley waslined tho maximum penalty of £lO. GOVERNMENT RED f TAPE. RESENTED BY LABOUR MEN; (Received June 22, 9.0 am.) SYDNEY, June 23. Senator Gardiner, Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council, said that, though difficulties had been encountered in the establishment of a double shift at tho Small Arms Fac- 1 tory, it would be started in a few weeks. A meeting of Labour men at Lithgow strongly resented the delay and decided to notify Mr. Pearce that the Amalgamated Society of Engineers was willing to supply all the skilled hands required within a fortnight. CONTRACTORS PROSECUTED. SYDNEY, Juno 21.. Under the Pure Foods Act, Francois Boylson was fined £lO for supplying adulterated coffee, allegedly containing 64 per centum of chicory, for tho.uso of tho troops, and £2 for giving a false certificate with the coffee. Boylson, pleading guilty, said he simply gave the order to another firm, and the coffee was packed in bond under Government supervision. Before tho High Court, Arthur Kidman, contractor, Major P. W. Page, Quartermaster-General of tho Military Forces of Now South Wales, Major AG. O’Donnell, assistant director of supply and transport, and Sergeant E. Leslie, the principal clerk- acting under O’Donnell, were charged with conspiring, between themselves and others, between October 29 and May 8 last, to defraud the Commonwealth of largo sums of money by charging excessively for goods for the use of the armed forces of Australia. Tho point was raised that the Act under which the charges were laid only camo into operation on May 7, the prosecution depending on a retrospective Act. Page pleaded not guilty. Counsel, on tho other charges, asked that tho indictments be quashed. The Chief Justice stated the full bench of the High Court had been summoned for August 2 to deal with the question of tile retrospective powers of the Act and all points raised would be reserved till after that sitting. The trial was adjourned till August 9. Kidman was also charged with forging in tho tender the name of C. Brown to supply goods to tho military with the intention of having the document accepted as genuine. Application to quash tho indictment on the ground that tho Commonwealth had no power to deal with retrospective cases was refused, and the case will be heard tomorrow. THE ALLEGED GERMAN MENACE. (Received June 22, 9.0 a.m.) MELBOURNE, June 21. Regarding threatening letters addressed to a number of Aldermen that Germans,, to the strength of an army corps, are waiting to rise, Mr. Pearce declares that he is not anxious, as aU the Gorm'iu reservists are interned. FODDER FOR AUSTRALIA. (Received June 22, 11.5 a.m.) MELBOURNE, June 22. Mr. Pearce states that the Defence Department saved £21,000 by . the purchase of 4000 tons of New Zealand fodder. Tho difference between the Now Zealand and the Australian price was £4 5s per ton. SYDNEY, June 22. Mr. Ashford announces that 1000 tons of American chaff has been duly divided among necessitous farmers and railway contractors. It cost tho Gov* eminent £ll per ton. Ho adds that 11,000 tons of wheat aro due m August.