THE NEW BRITISH LIQUOR BILL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2450, 1 May 1915, Page 7

THE NEW BRITISH LIQUOR BILL

MR. LLOYD GEORGE'S PROPOSALS AN ACT OF DISCIPLINE FOR EFFICIENT WAR-MAKING • (Reo. April 80, 8.10 p.m.) vr T i jr. London ' A P ril 30- , Mr - Ll °ya G e? r S®> m explaining the proposals with legard to the control of the nquor traffic in war time, 6aid that the Government proposed to deal with excessive drinking among a section only of those engaged' in the output of munitions of war. The nation should exert its whole strength and subordinate everything to the present struggle; remove every obstacle in order to win the war. the outlook being one of life to the Empire. The evil was so serious, that nothing but strong action would enable the Government to cope with it. Consideration of the question, he proceeds, had been forced upon them by the officials responsible for the output. The slackness in some of the shipyards was causmg serious anxiety to the commaaders of the Fleet. At Portsmouth all honour was due to the men, 78 per cent, of whom are working sixty hours and upwards weekly, compared with tho normal forty-eight hours. Men. in some other places were doing less than an ordinary week's work under normal conditions. Out of 8000 men employed by one firm, after a three days' holiday it Easter, 1800 failed to return to work until the Tuesday. Slackness Due to Excessive Drinking. . Everyreport declared that the slackness in the shipyards was due to excessive drinking among a section, this being ascribable to the faot that the men wore earning more money than they knew what to do with. Reports to the end of March showed no perceptible improvement. Of 114 men in one firm engaged on submarine work, Jifty-eight were off one day and fifty-five the next due almost entirely to excessive drinking. Letters from the armament firms ascribed the slackness to the same cause. The Director of Transport stated that the service was conducted with serious difficulty owing to excessive drinking. He addedthat delay was a real danger to the success of the naval and military operations. However unpleasant the task, the Government would be betraying its trust to the country unless it proposed to remedy all this evil. Proposals Outlined. He proposed to restrict as much as possible the sale of spirits and tie majority of alcoholic beers, by double duty •on spirits and a surtax on beer at 12s. per barrel of forty-three to forty-eight specific gravity, 245. between forty-nine and fifty-three, and 365. after that. The duty on 6parkiing wines would be 15s. per gallon, and the proposed duty on other wines quadrupled The duties on beer were estimated to produce £1,600,000; wines, £1500 000 The maximum dilution of spirit extended from 25 per cent, under proof to 35 per cent. "We must have more control over the sale of liquor in the areas producing war material, and some camping areas," said the Chancellor. "The Government will take powers, for the period of the war, to close any house in these areas if its presence is considered to be prejudicial to the output of munitions. Power will he taken to lise the premises to supply reasonable refreshment! We will control these houses, and fair compensation will be given. The compensation to the brewery would _ be proportionate to the temporary loss the Customs sustained, and a commission would ascertain the ainounr'of that compensation. ' Prohibition the Last Resort. Mr. Lloyd George declared that the simple restrictions of the hours of trade would not be adequate to effect the purpose, and total prohibition 'would not be justified till they had tried everything else. Aftor the experiment of seeking a solution which would not provoke controversy, he was prepared to take a pledge never, politically, to touch drink* again. "Every Government that has touched the alcohol question has burned its fingers in its lurid flames. The subject is surrounded by barbed-wiro entanglements, explosive and prejudice. . "I have introduced this Bill," he continued, "only because of a sense of responsibility, Che neglect of which woutd have been a betrayal of duty. The proposals are not intended as an act of social reform, or an attempt at the solution of intemperance, hut simply as an act of discipline for the purpose of efficient war-making. etrong Opposition From Irish Members. Mr. John Redmond (Leader of tho Nationalists) said that Mr Lloyd Georgo's proposals were cruel and uncalled for as far as Ireland was concerned, and would he resented in every part of Ireland. Mr. O'Brien said the proposals struck an unjust and possibly a fatal blow to the only considerable manufacture loft in the three southern provinces of Ireland. The latter ought to be excluded. Ho added that if Mr. Lloyd George succeeded with the new taxes the results would be as horrible in Cork ns if Cork was bombarded and sacked by the Gormans. Mr. Bonar Law advised t-lie House d wait for Mr. Lloyd Georgo's Bill and Teports before expressing an opinion. Mr. T. Healy (Independent Nationalist) said that if the Bill passed it would be pood-bye to the Homo Rule Act so far as its efiicacj would be concerned. Mr. Lloyd ,Gorae, m reply to questions, said that the Bill dealt entirely with tho control of tho liquor traffic in the munitions factories area. The House adopted the Customs excise resolutions consequent on Mr. Llovd George's proposals. LOBBY COSSIP ABOUT THE BILL. (Eec. May i, 0.13 a.m.) London, April 30. 11l the Parliamentary Lobby doubts arc expressed as to the driving force behind Sir. Lloyd George's wine-duty proposals, and it-is believed they will be dropped, _ while the proposed imposition of restrictions on tho sale of liquor' in munitions manufacturing areas will be carried. Licensed victuallers regard the proposals as impracticable and impossible. Liibmif fsgeijl t« Jit'. - i/toyd CiMij-jjei Hijt übsh worms classes oa Insufficient evident,