Great Britain

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 100, 30 April 1915, Page 5

Great Britain

PUBLIC SUPPLY RESPIRATORS. I (Imran Pun** Association. Received 8.-55 a.m.) London, April 29. The public have already supplied the War Office with the demand for respirators. 136,000 BELGIAN REFUGEES IN ENGLAND. (Received 8.55 a.m.) i London, April 29. Mr Samuel, in reply to a question in the House of Commons, said there were 180,000 Belgian refugees in England. many of whom were employed in munition factories. ' DRINK AND MUNITIONS. i “EVERY OBSTACLE TO SUCCESS SHOULD BE REMOVED." I V . (Received 9.55 a.m.) London, April 9. Mr Lloyd George, explaining his. proposal nn the drink question, said 'the Government proposed to deal with excessive drinking among ! a section only ,of those engaged in the output of munitions. The Chancellor said the nation shoujd exert its whole strength, and subordinate everything in the present struggle so as to remove every obstacle 'in order to win the war, the outlook j being one of life to the Empire. The evil was so serious that nothing hut strong action would enable them to (cope therewith. Consideration of the question had been forced upon them | by officials responsible for the output. .The slackness in some shipyards was causing serious anxiety to the com-* ■manders of the Fleet. SOME STARTLING REPORTS. “EARNING MORE THAN THEY KNEW WHAT TO 00 WITH.” (Received 12.25 a.m.) London, April 29. Mr Lloyd George, continuing his speech at Portsmouth, said: All honor to the men. Seventy-eight per cent, were working sixty hours and upwards weekly compared to the normal fortyeight hours. The men in some other places were doing less than their ordinary week’s work under normal conditions. Out of eight thousand employed by one firm, after three days’ holiday at Easter, eighteen hundred failed to return on Tuesday. Every report declared that the slackness in the shipyards was due to excessive drinking among a section, which, was ascrihuble to the fact that they were earning more than they knew what l to do with. Reports to the end of March showed no perceptible improvement. GOVERNMENT’S TRUST TO THE COUNTRY. THE PROPOSED TAXATION. (Received 12.45 p.m.) London. April 29. Mr Lloyd George said that of 114 men in one firm engaged on submarine work, 58 were off one day and 55 the next, which was due almost entirely to excessive drinking. Regarding armaments, letters from firms ascribed the slackness to the same cause. The director of the transport stated that the service was being conducted with serious difficulty owing to excessive drinking. The Chancellor added:. The delay is 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 a remedy to all this evil. Ths was to he done a double duty on spirits; a surtax ou beer of 12s per barrel of 43 to 48 specific gravity, 23s between 19 and 53, and 36s after that; and a duty ou sparkling wines of 15s per gallon.

PROTECTION Or THE REALM. SUGGESTED CODES FOR DOMINIONS. (Received 1.30 p.m.) London. April 2% Mr Bonar Law advised the House to wait for Mr Lloyd George’s bill and the reports before expressing an opinion. Mr Joynson-Hicks urged the Government to allow more codes, especially with the Dominions and India. At present the limitations were crippling trades. The Government replied that it was impossible at present to consider increasing the number of codes, the protection of tlie Realm being of paramount consideration.