Hours from England

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 250, 31 March 1915, Page 5

Hours from England

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

STRONGLY ADVOCATED BY THE

TIMES.

Tunes and Sydney Sun Services. London, March 29. The Times in in leader says:- T Our correspondent justly joints out- that Mr Harconrt's reply "that he considered it undesirable to hold a normal meet ing of the Imperial Conference in 1915 is calculated to give the maximum gratuitous offence to Australia. Mr Fisher never suggested a normal meeting of the conference," Bui urged a consultive t meeting of Dominion Ministers in London. It is an amazing instance of the tactless blundering into which Mr Harcourt has too often allowed himself to ' fall in his dealings with Dominion affairs.

The war has revealed with sVirtling clearness one essential fact in the relations of the Dominions and Britain, They have no voice in the Issues oi peace and war. Our salesmen fo.r years have been occupied in obscurmj the fact by a constant stream of reassuring platitudes. The dominions have been told that they are masters in their own house, units in a greater unity, but when the one supreme issue ii before the Empire they have no voi« in the decisions made for them by it and they mnst elude or sever their membership with the British comm-nlty. ■This is a hard saying, and cuts like a aword through the soft network of il'foriou* -woven over tV obscure truth about the limitations of the self-gov-•flTnment of the dominions. We only •any with Lord Milner that consultation would obviate misunderstanding and •grievance. If the Government is blind 'to ttis It will not summon Minister*. but If it is not. it will ask them to come to London."

.K TREMENDOUS PROBLEM..

DRINK AFFECTS SHIPBUILDING

WORKERS.

EMPLOYERS WANT BARS CLOSED.

Received March 31, 12.50 a.m. London, March 30. A deputation, representing the lead-" ing shipbuilders in the United Kingdom, urged the closing of public-houses and clubs in areas were munitions are manufactured. They, asserted that the ■ average time worked in most yards, despite day and night work for seven days, was below normal before the war. » 'Eighty per cent, of the loss was due to drink.' In one instance a battleship requiring immediate repairs was delayed a whole day because the rivctters were drinking. More curtailment would not meet the problem. Sir. Lloyd George said his own information" was equally startling. The -greatest of these deadly foes was drink, and excessive drinking was seriously interfering with our output of munitions, which must "Be enormously increased to •enable us to win.

INDUSTRIAL RESERVE FORMED

BONUS SYSTEM SPREADING.

London, March 29.

An industrial reserve is being forrmd 'for men of leisure for work in ammunition and other factories wherever th<ir services are acceptable to assist in relieving ordinary workers of strain where possible. They will be paid at the mar"kct rate. The dockers at Swansea accepted a war bonus representing 15 per cent, advance. Steel workers at Dowlais and "Workington will also receive bonuses. The "bonus system is spreading.

THE DRINK QUESTION.

TOTAL ABOLITION ADVOCATED.

London. March 20.

A deputation from the Shipbuilders' Employers' Federation urged Mr. Lloyd George to totally prohibit the sale of exeiseablo liquor during the war. Mr. Lloyd George, in reply, said he ha 1 a. growing conviction that nothing but root and branch methods would b; of the slightest avail, for drink \va.» the greatest of our foes. He would lay th<deputation's views before Cabinet.