"SAVE THE LIVES OF BRITISH SOLDIERS"

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2413, 19 March 1915, Page 5

"SAVE THE LIVES OF BRITISH SOLDIERS"

BRITAIN'S APPEAL FOR WAR SUPPLIES MR. LLOYD GEORGE AT THE LABOUR CONFERENCE (Rec. March 18, 10.15 p.m.) LOndon, March 18. ille, national conference of Labour representatives and representatives of the engineering, shipbuilding, coalmining, and transport industries, which was summoned by the Government to discuss tho Government's control of war material factories, has appointed a committee of. seven Labour officials as an advisory committee to the Government. Mr. Lloyd George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, presided, and in an address to tho conference, said: ®very country engaged m the war has found that its expenditure on war material has been in excess of any anticipations. • The General Staff in France has met its difficulty by voluntarily organising the wholo of the industries. In this country wo have the additional difficulty of haying to increase the per-, sonriel of the Army tenfold in tho duration of the' wdr. Even our Allies' success depends on our increasing and accelerating tho output of munitions. A Telling Incident In Point, "Prepartory to last weke's fighting there was tho most tremendous concentration of.' artillery witnessed at any point during the war, and this not merely insured success, but saved the lives of British soldiers." Two French officers had told him that the concentration of fire at on© particular spot had enabled the achievement- of the purpose with one-tenth the loss of life which otherwise would have been required. Mr. Lloyd George continued: "Every month's delay in the output may mean two or three months added to the duration of the war." Prior to the organisation of British industries for war, it was essential to have the complete co-operation of the employers and the workmen. The Government, in taking, over the works, did not mean to imply that a General or an Admiral would be installed instead of the present managers. The Government proposed to impose a limitation upon tho profits, because otherwise there would be a difficulty in appealing to Labour to rcljx its restrictions on output, and put out its whole strength, unlesß tho workers knew that the State was getting the benefit, and not merely a particular individual or class. Restrioted Profits and Inoreased Output. "If," continued the Chancellor ( "we assume control of the business and guarantee tho profits within a certain limit, the employers have not the same interest in limiting expenditure." Consequently the Government desired .to have,an understanding with the employers, but the present purpose of the meeting was to lay a certain point beforo the representatives of the workers at a moment when important work was liable to be interrupted by Labour disputes. The Government did not sac that the workmen ought never to complain, but it did say that work should continue while disputes were being adjudicated upon. The Government accordingly proposed that no Btrikcs or lock-outs should be declared during the war in industries where Government work was proceeding, but difficulties would be settled by an impartial tribunal, as tho conference mig it decide. The , question of suspending tho restrictions on. the output during the war H-as a difficult one for tho workers, bu- it was very, very important to the State. There was tho question of the number of machines one man was permitted to attend; also the employment of semi-skilled labour, and women. French women wore doing a vast amount of work in tho ammunition factories, the way in which Franco had met her responsibilities was something of which tho democracy could be proud. "We appeal to tho British workers," ho urged, "to do tho same. Tho Curse of Liquor, Finally, there was drinking among a minority of the workmen. JTiq Admiialty <ind tho \\ ar Offico li&d reported that this vras very serious in some districts, and was gravely into -faring with tho output and tho transport of munitions and othor necessaries for the troops. "The Government cannot take effective action without tho support of tho Labour loaders " Mr. Lloyd George concluded: "Attho end of tho war Britain will cither be a vassal, of a German military cas'to, drunk with success, or will have broken militarism for ever. It is because I realise the importance of .this as a democrat that I appeal t« the leaders of tho workmen to assist tho Government." Mr. Arthur Balfour, Sir George Askwith, Sir Francis Hopwood,- Sir George Gibb, with other officials representing the Admiralty, the War Office and the Board of Trade attended the conference. ' APPEAL TO THE WOMEN OF BRITAIN ESTIMATING THEIR RESERVE FOROE FOR INDUSTRIES. (Rec. March 18, 11.5 p.m.) „„ „ , ,rn , > . London, March 18. The Board of Trade invites women to register themselves at the labour exchanges as ready to do industrial, agricultural, and clerical work, and thus enable the Government to estimate the reserve force in women's labour trained and untrained, available, if required. ' The appeal adds: "The act of a woman who releases a man is a national war service." CLYDE ENGINEERS DECIDE FOR ARBITRATION. (Rec. March 18, 11.5 p.m.) London, March 18. The Clyde engineers, by 5616 votes against 152'2, have decided to submit the wages question to the Government Arbitration Court.