Conditional Sales Prohibited.

Three orders were issued by the Food Controller on March 22nd. One of these declared it to be a punishable offence for a trader in connection with the sale, or proposed sale, of any article of food to impose or attempt to impose a condition involving the purchase of any other article. This put an end to the practice which has been invariable among grocers of insisting that something else usually tea-should be purchased before sugar is supplied. The other Orders fixed the maximum price of swedes at 1d. per lb., and prohibited the export of malt to or from England and Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands.

Committee on Sugar Distribution.

Lord Devonport has appointed a committee to consider the system adopted by the Royal Commission on Sugar Supplies for the distribution of sugar, and to report what further steps should be taken to arrange the allocation of existing supplies. The Committee consists of:

Lord Somerleyton (Chairman); Mr Thomas R. Ferens, M.P.; Mr. Arthur Richardson, M.P.; Mr. B. H. Burton; Mr. H. G. Emery; Mr. A. J. Giles; Mr. C. H. Liddell; and Mr. H. J. May. Captain S. G. Tallents (of the Ministry of Food) is the Secretary.

At the end of March came the statement that the Food Controller, having regard to the stocks of brewers' sugar now in the country, had decided that licences may be granted under the Brewers' Sugar Order, 1917, to enable manufacturers other than brewers or brewers' sugar manufacturers, to use this class of sugar. This arrangement is designed to release for domestic consumption sugar of a better quality which would otherwise be used by sugar-using manufacturers.

Controller of Vegetables and Fruit.

On March 7th, it was announced that Mr. John W. Denniss had been appointed as Director (unpaid) of the section of the Ministry of Food dealing with potatoes, other vegetables, and fruit.

Supplies of Fish.

Towards the end of March came the announcement that the President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries had appointed a Committee to consider practical means for increasing the supplies of sea-fish for the home markets and for encouraging the consumption of such fish, whether cured or fresh, in substitution for other foods. The Committee is composed as follows:

Mr. Cecil Harmsworth, M.P. (Chairman); Mr. H. S. M. Blundell (of the Admiralty War Staff, Trade Division); Mr. H. G. Maurice, C.B. (of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries); Mr. E. H. Collingwood (of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries); Mr. Stephen Reynolds, B.Sc. (representing the Development Com

missioners); Mr. Arthur Towle (representing the Food Controller). The Secretary and Manager is Mr. G. K. Hext.

At the same time it was stated that the President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries had also appointed a Committee to consider whether any considerable addition to the home food supplies of fish could be provided from the rivers, lakes, and ponds of England and Wales. The Committee will be composed of the following:

Lord Desborough (Chairman); Mr. R. B. Marston; Mr. A. R. Peart; Mr. F. G. Richmond; Mr. H. T. Sheringham: Mr. A. Tate Regan Sir John Wrench Towse. The Hon. A. S. Northcote will act as Secretary to the Committee.

Food Economy Director.

It was announced on March 27th that Lord Devonport had, with the approval of the Prime Minister, appointed Mr. Kennedy Jones, M.P., as Director-General (unpaid) of the Food Economy Department of the Ministry of Food.

Beer and Spirit Restrictions.

On March 30th, the Food Controller issued an Order giving effect to the announcement made by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons on February 23rd that the annual output of beer in the United Kingdom would be limited to 10,000,000 barrels, as compared with the 26,000,000 barrels allowed for the year ended March 31st, 1916. The Order also provided that the supply of wine and spirits that may be taken out of bond is reduced by 50 per cent. of the amount taken out in 1916. To assist the Board of Customs and Excise in the issue of authorities for the delivery from bond of spirits and wine under the Intoxicating Liquor (Output and Delivery) Order, 1917, the Chancellor of the Exchequer appointed the following Advisory Committee:-Mr. John Archer (Chairman of the Wine and Spirits Association); Mr. R. William Byass (late Chairman of the Wine and Spirits Association); Mr. Henry Tait Moore (of Brooks's Wharf, Upper Thames-street, E.C.); Mr. John N. Stickland (late Superintending Inspector to the Board of Customs and Excise); Secretary, Mr. P. L. Aston (Surveyor of Customs and Excise).

Farming After the War.

:

The Committee appointed last August, under the chairmanship of Lord Selborne, to report on the methods of effecting after the war an increase in home-grown food supplies in the interest of national security issued Part I. of their Report [Cd. 8506] towards the end of March. The recommendations of the Committee are as follows:A minimum wage for the agricultural labourer; a guaranteed minimum price of 42s. a quarter for wheat and 23s. a quarter for cats; wage boards for agriculture on lines of existing Trade Boards; a tariff on imported foodstuffs if imported manufactured goods are taxed; panels of assessors with power to supersede owners of badly

farmed land; shortage of cottages to be made good by the Government immediately after the war. Some of these recommendations have in principle already been adopted by the Government as war

measures.

Trade after the War.

The President of the Board of Trade, speaking at a luncheon of the Associated Chambers of Commerce on March 20th, devoted attention to the trade problems which would arise after the war. Dealing with the relation of capital and labour, he announced that he was satisfied that this country would not revert to the old conditions. The fact had to be faced that higher wages were here to stay. Considering the part that the Government could play in trade development in the future, he stated that a British Trade Corporation was to be established, its object being to facilitate and establish a large credit bank or banks for developing British trade abroad. He also said that the Board had arranged for a great development of their commercial and trade intelligence department in the City, and an extension of the system of trade commissioners in various parts of the Empire. They were going to increase, he said, the Commissioners from four to sixteen. Some would be stationed in India and the Crown Colonies, so that the whole Empire would be covered by our representatives.

Army Supplies.

The Secretary of the War Office announced, on March 31st, that with a view to the further co-ordination of the various services concerned with the work of maintaining the supplies of the Military Forces, the Secretary of State for War had created a new department at the War Office, which will take over from the Departments of the Quartermaster-General, the Master-General of the Ordnance and the Finance Member of the Army Council such of their functions as relate to the commercial side of the business of supplying the Army (except as to munitions). The new department will be in the charge of Mr. Andrew Weir, who has placed his services at the disposal of the Government for the purpose. He will be styled Surveyor-General of Supply, and will be made an additional member of the Army Council. He will be assisted by an Advisory Council, consisting of a representative each of the Quartermaster-General, the Master-General of the Ordnance, and the Finance Member, and of three commercial members. Mr. Weir is now engaged in developing the new organisation.

Electric Power Committee.

The President of the Board of Trade has appointed a Committee to consider and report what steps should be taken, whether by legislation or otherwise, to ensure that there shall be an adequate and economical supply of electric power for all classes of consumers in

the United Kingdom, particularly industries which depend upon a cheap supply of power for their development. The Committee is constituted as follows:-Mr. F. Huth-Jackson (Chairman), Mr. H. Booth, Mr. James Devonshire, Mr. G. H. Hume, Mr. John Kemp, Mr. H. H. Law, M.Inst.C.E., Mr. C. H. Merz, Sir Charles Parsons, Sir John Snell, M.Inst.C.E., Alderman C. F. Spencer, and Mr. A. J. Walker, K.C. The Secretary is Mr. M. J. Collins.

Coal Mines Control.

Advisory Boards Appointed.

It was announced by the Board of Trade at the beginning of March that in the Department of the Controller of Coal Mines an Advisory Board representative of the coalowners and the miners in the various districts has been attached to the Controller.

Development of Mineral Properties.

A new branch of the Ministry of Munitions has been established under Sir Lionel Phillips as Controller, to deal with the examination and development of such mineral properties (other than coal or iron ore) in the United Kingdom as are considered likely to be of special value for the purposes of the war.

Munitions Priority Controller.

The Priority Branch of the Ministry of Munitions has been given the status of a Department, with Mr. Edgar Jones, M.P., as Controller. A new Priority Advisory Committee has been appointed to advise the Controller and the Minister as to the effect of any restrictive Orders of the Ministry of Munitions upon trade, with the view to causing the minimum of hardship.

Paper Saving.

With a view to compel economy in the use of paper, the Board of Trade have issued a restrictive order affecting posters and catalogues. The contents bills and posters of newspapers and periodicals have been banished from the streets, except where they are exhibited outside the premises of publication. The size of ordinary posters has been cut down to a superficial measurement of 600 square inches as a maximum, and tradesmen's catalogues, price lists, and advertising circulars are not to be sent out unless a request in writing has been made for them.

Summer Time.

The Home Office Committee unanimously reported in favour of the reintroduction of Summer Time this year, and it has accordingly been arranged that the period shall extend from Sunday, April 8th, to Monday, September 17th.

THE DARDANELLES COMMISSION REPORT.

Appointment and Terms of Reference.

By an Act of Parliament which was placed on the Statute Book in August, 1916, two Royal Commissions were appointed to enquire into certain naval and military operations undertaken by the country in the course of the war. Of these one was the Dardanelles Commission, directed to enquire into "the origin, inception, and conduct of operations of war in the Dardanelles and Gallipoli, including the supply of drafts, reinforcements, ammunition, and equipment of the troops and Fleet, the provision for the sick and wounded, and the responsibility of those departments of Government whose duty it has been to minister to the wants of the forces employed in that theatre of war." The Commission consisted of ten

members:

Lord Cromer (Chairman).

Sir Frederick Cawley, Bart., M.P.
Mr. J. A. Clyde, K.C., M.P.
Capt. Stephen Gwynn, M.P.
Mr. Andrew Fisher.

Admiral Sir W. H. May.

Sir Thomas Mackenzie.
Field-Marshal Lord Nicholson.
Lord Justice Pickford.
Mr. W. F. Roch, M.P.

The Commission has now made a First Interim Report* (dated February 12th) dealing exclusively with the origin and inception of the attack on the Dardanelles. This Report is signed by all the Commissioners except Mr. Roch, who makes a separate report. Mr. Fisher and Sir Thomas Mackenzie sign the report with reservations expressed in separate memoranda. It should be added that the Report was published with certain excisions " made for diplomatic, naval, or military reasons,' some of which were subsequently made public as the result of further reconsideration.

The Commission's Report.

The Report deals with the period, August 4th, 1914, to March 23rd, 1915, on which latter date it was decided to substitute for the original scheme a military operation on a large scale, assisted by the Navy. After statements as to Higher Organisation (a) previous to the outbreak of war, and (b) adopted subsequent to the outbreak of war, comes a long "Narrative of Events and a short account of "the Results of the Operations." We have only space for the " Conclusions arrived at," which are introduced by the following prefatory paragraph:

We trust that we have given so full a summary of the somewhat involved events which have formed the subject of our enquiry, that

*[Cd. 8490] Price 6d. net.