***

In spite of the Government's official discouragement of any further rise
in wages a demand for an increase of no less than 33-1/3 per cent, has
been made by the "knockers-up" in the Manchester district. For going
round in the chill hours of the morning and wakening the workers, these
blood-suckers (chiefly old men and cripples) receive at present the
princely remuneration of threepence per head per week; and they have now
the effrontery to ask for fourpence.

***

The German Government has decided to raise the charge for telegrams.
WOLFF'S Bureau has instructed its correspondents that in order to meet
this new impost the percentage of truth in its despatches must be still
further diminished.

***

Before the opening of the Luxemburg Parliament two members of the
Opposition threw the chairs belonging to Ministers out of the window. It
is feared that something of the kind may be attempted at Westminster,
since several Members have been observed to cast longing eyes upon the
Treasury Bench.

***

With a view to increasing the food-supply the German Government have
extended the time for shooting hares from January 16th to February 1st,
and for pheasants from February 1st to March 1st. The dachshund season,
we understand, will be continued for the duration of the War.

***

Count KOSPOTH, a member of the Prussian Upper House, in the course of an
energetic plea for economy, remarks that "at one's country-seat one can
very well do without a motor-car, and even with two to four horses in
stables instead of six or eight." This was read with great satisfaction
by the Berlin _Hausfrau_ on a meatless day when the bread-card was
exhausted.

***

The House of Commons was quite relieved when Sir GEORGE REID took his
seat. There had been some fears that he would take two.

***

A young woman who mistook Vine-street police station for a tavern, and
was fined ten shillings for drunkenness, is reported to have expressed
the opinion that there is room for improvement in the nomenclature of
our public edifices.

***

"My grave doubt," writes a Conscientious Objector regarding his fellows,
"is whether there is any reasonable chance that most of them will be
able to convince a tribunal that their conscientious objection is real."
It may comfort him to know that his doubt is very widely shared.

***

"DEAR MR. PUNCH," writes a soldier at the Front wh