JOYS OF DRINKING

Evening Star, Issue 19786, 9 February 1928, Page 2

JOYS OF DRINKING

G. K. CHESTERTON’S HUMOR. G. K. Chesterton came lo lecture in Glasgow recently, and addressed tho students in support of the candidature of Sir Herbert Samuel for the Lord Rectorship (writes Richard Lee, in tho ‘San Francisco Chronicle ■% It was ail' amusing , speech, /but-ltd was difficult to see its Crinnectioii " with liberalism and the rectorial election. Chesterton is a great advocate of beer and freedom. Those themes wore prominent in his address, lie spoke contemptuously of the modern organised hotel, and gave a glowing description of the comforts and glories of the oldfashioned inn, where a man could get his beer and quaff it in happiness and contentment. There was much in the address about the joys of drinking, and many quips at teetotalers.

Tho chairman had made some comparison btween Chesterton and John Stuart Mill. “But lam not like John Stuart Mill,” said G.K. “Ho was too straitlaced, and would have been .a better man if ho had got drunk occasionally—not too dnmk, but rnoderatly drunk.” _ Ho also paid some left-handed compliments to big business and men like Woolwortb and. Sol fridge. One student asked whether he would spend a penny on, a Woohvorth weighing machine. “ Yes,” • answered the Faistaffian Chesterton, “ I think I will break my rule and go to Woolworth’s and break up his machine.” The students had an uproarious time, but probably the candidature of Sir Herbert Samuel suffered.

Sir liobert Horne, late Chancellor of the Exchequer, recently spoke at a meeting- to encourage young women, to become domestic servants. . There was a crowded, fashionable audience, but hardly a domestic servant was to be seen. Sir liobert devoted a rather long speech to the subject of. emigration, which is the one specific of this statesman for all social ills. Before the war we sent away 200,000 persons a year. Now we send only 90,000 or less. This is the cause of unemployment, as we employ in our industries just as many men as before the war. When Sir Robert Horne was the Chancellor ho set aside £3,000,000 a for helping workers to get abroad. Only one-half has been used. The pcopie do not want to go. Three reasons were given by Sir Robert for this lack of appreciation of the benefits of emigration:— 1. Working people love their own country host and are loth to leave it. 2. They love the dole, which keeps them alive in idleness. 3. They are not willing to face hardships as their fathers were. The made on this deliverance was that if you reduced onr population by ten millions it does not follow' you would get Paradise Regained. Taxes are double in Scotland what they were before the war. The cost of living is seventy pep cent, higher and the value of money is nearly onehalf. The great firms in the west of of. Scotland have issued an election manifesto in which they ask the electors to vote once more to power those who have been responsible for the heavy burden of taxes. There is not a single public body in the west of Scotland that is controlled by the Moderate Party. And this Moderate Party is financed by these big firms. They can carry what measures they like to reduce the rates.