Great Britain

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 5, 6 May 1915, Page 5

Great Britain

- ——— UGE?!SSMG proposals. french vine-dressers protest. i (Received S.-I5 a.in.) Paris, *uay 5. French vignernns held numerous meetings and protested against the ruinous effect of the British wine duties, and urged the (jlovernment to make repreesntations. | CANTEENS FOR THE WAR- „ WORKERS. ! (Received S.-lo a.m.) London, May 5. Lady Lawrence is organising canteens in tiie war-workers’ yards throughout the country. CLYDE WORKERS’ CONFERENCE. I (Received 11.20 a.m.) London, May 6. | The Clyde Shipowners and Employees’ Conference at Glasgow. de eided that the men should report themselves daily and that the Admiralty have the first claim on their services. GERMANY’S COTTON SUPPLIES. London, May 5. The Hon. Neil Primrose announced that tlie figures for April show a great diminution in the importation of cotton to Germany. I The White Paper on the drink problem shows that Admiral Sir John Jollicoe’s letter says that owing to the uneasy labor situation on the Clyde «nd the Tyne he sent a letter or two ilately and it might he thought he was exceeding his sphere of action, but the

1 efficiency of the hoot was affected, and he felt it his duty to do something. I One officer reported to him that the situation on the Clyde was most disquieting. The men refused altogether ‘to work on Saturday afternoon, and • lay off on Wednesday afternoon every I week. They worked on Sunday because they got double pay, but they only (worked in a half-hearted manner. Destroyer dockings and refits were delayed, in every case owing to labor difficulties and the work took twice as long as was necessary. Rear-Admiral Frederick Tudor supplies a statement showing the effect of excessive drinking on the output of shipbuilding repairs and the making of munitions. He says the position is 'that while the country is at war these ‘men are doing less than was regarded as an ordinary week’s work during normal conditions. The problem was not how to increase the normal peace output, but how to get the men to do an ordinary week’s work of 51 to 53 hours. The reasons for the loss of time were various, but it was abundantly (dear that the most potent factors are the facilities which exist for the men to obtain spirits, the high rate of pay. and the abundance of employment. Opinions on these points are practically unanimous.