News from England.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 276, 1 May 1915, Page 5

News from England.

LIQUOR TRAFFIC SCHEME. ' XLGYD GEORGE'S PEOPOSALS. HIGHER OUTIES. London, April 20 1 . Mr. Lloyd George, explaining the proposal on the drink question, said the Government proposed to deal with excessive drinking among a section only—of (hose engaged in the output of munitions. The nation should exert its whole strength and subordinate everything to the present struggle and remove every obstacle in order to win. The outlook being one of life to the Empire, and the aril so serious, notlhing'but strong action would enable the nation to cope ■with it. The.consideration of the quco;tion had been forced upon them by the •officials responsible for the output. The .slackness.in some shipyards, was causing serious anxiety to the commanders of ithe fleet. At Portsmouth, all honour to •.the men, 78 per .cent, were working '<so hours and upwards, weekly, compared with a normal 48 hours. The men in some places were doing less than an •ordinary week's work under normal con.ditions. Out of .8000 men employed by one firm, after three days' holiday at .Easter 1800 failed to return on the Tuesday. Every report declared that the Blackness in the shipyards was due to i< -icessi've drinking among a section, .. hch was ascribable to the fact' that .they were earning more money than .tiiey knew what to do with. *

Reports to the end of March Bliowed 110 perceptible improvement. Of 114 men i employed fry one firm engaged in submarine work, 58 were off one day and 55 the next. This was due aimost* entirely io excessive drinkingRegarding armaments, letters from firms ascribed the slackness to the same cause.

The director of transport stated that the service was conducted with serious difficulty owing to.«xcessive drinking. He added that delay was the real danger to success in naval and military! operations. However unpleasant the task, the Government would be betraying the trust of ■■te country unless it proposed a remedy for all this evil. He proposed to place a double duty on spirits, a surtax on beer of 12s a barrel from 43 to 4S specific gravity, 24s between 49 and 53, and 36 a after that, and a duty on sparkling- wines of 15s a gallon. .Mr. Bonar Xaw advised the House to wait for Mr. Lloyd George's Bill and "Imports before expressing an opnion. Mr. Redmond said Mr. Lloyd George's ; proposals were cruel and uncalled for so far .as Ireland was concerned, and -would be resented everywhere in Ireland. Mr. O'Brien said the proposals struck ;$n unjust, possibly a fatal, blow at the only considerable manufacture left in the three southern provinces of Ireland. The latter ought to be excluded. He added that if Mr. Lloyd George succeeded, the new taxes would have re•eulta as horrible to Cork as if Cork had 'fceen oonibarded and sacked by the Gerjnans.

HOT TEMPERANCE REFORM. i AN ACT OF DISCIPLINE. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED. London, April 29. Mr. Lloyd George, at the outset, emphasised that while the men at the royal dockyards were working splendidly, the work done on the Tyne and at Barrow ms much less than might reasonably fcf expected. The loss was less in the armament works, but sufficiently serious. Be quoted instances where 6ome men were working .70 and 80 hours a week at shell explosive factories, whose work was hampered by those working only 25 to 40 hours.* He did not suggest temperance as a reform, but as an act of discipline for the nation during the war for the purpose of the war. nence ne proposed to restrict as much as possible the sale of spirits and the majority of alcoholic beers. The House adopted the customs and fexcise resolutions consequent on Mr. I/lpyd George's proposals.

PROPOSALS EXPLAINED. COMPENSATION TO BREWERS. Received April 30, 8.10 p.m. London, April 30. Mr Lloyd George added that the proposed dutv on other wines was quadrupled. The duties on beer were estiZted to produce £1,000,000, and on wines £1,500,000.. The maximum dilution Of spirits was extended from 25 per cent. under proof to 35. They must have more control over the sale of liquor m the areas producing war material and in some camping areas, and the Government

would take powers for the period of the war to close any house in these areas if its presence were prejudicial, and powei was taken to use the premises for the supply of reasonable refreshment and to control these houses. Fair compensation would be given, the compensation to the brewery being proportionate to the tern, porary loss of custom sustained. A Commission would ascertain the amount ol compensation. Mr. Lloyd George declared that restrictions of the hours would not have been adequate, and that total prohibition was not justified till they had tried everything else. After the experiment ol seeking a solution which would not provoke a controversy, he was prepared to take a pledge never politically to touch drink again. Every Government that has touched alcohol has burned its fingers in its lurid flames. The subject was surrounded by barbed-wire entanglements, explosive passions, and prejudice; He im troduced the Bill only because of his sense of responsibility, the neglect of which would have been a betrayal of duty . The proposals were not intended as a measure of social reform or as a solution of the problem of intemperance; but as an act of discipline for the pur* pose of efficient war-making. Received May 1, 12.15 a.m. London; lA'pril' SO: Lobby opinion doubts the drivingforco behind Mr. Lloyd George's duties: It believes his proposals will be dropped', while the restrictions in the munitions areas will be carried.

Licensed victuallers regard the proposals as impracticable and impossible. Labor members resent the slight Mr; Lloyd George puts on the working clasf.es, believing there js insufficient evidence.

The heavy tax nn wine is condemned', as it restricts imports from France and Australia;.

Replying to Mr. Thorne, Mr. M'acNamara states that the navy between August 1 and the end of December, 1914', had purchased 2000 tons of frozen meat, chiefly beef, which averaged slightly over sixpence a pound, and 3150 tons of canned meat at S^d.

TREATMENT OF PRISONERS, i - b n ADMIRALTY'S POLICY. £ Loudon, April 29. j Lord Lucas, in the House of Lords, * announced that the Admiralty's policy \ was not one of reprisal, hut the expres- « sion of the highest moral disapproval ' of the German methods. Submarines ' would be treated in accordance with the ] Hague Convention. ' Mr. Neil Primrose, in the House of ] Commons, protested against the German treatment of British prisoners. But protests, he said, were npt much good. The , treatment was calculated and of a cruel character. The Government was in- . formed from a reliable source that pri- . aoners' coats were almost invariably tak- i en off, and that they were spat upon without any remonstrance from their guards. Despite insult's, the hearing of the prisoners throughout had been beyond praise, but the conduct of the Germans was revolting, and showed the spirit of brutality in its naked hideousness. Mr. Asquith said the mere publicity of the protest was of no avail. On the contrary, the more we protested the more the Germans might be tempted to think that it was exasperating to public feeling in Britain. The most practical steps taken had been the invoking of American good offices, which were considerably alleviating and mitigating the severest hardships. Mr. Macnamara, replying to a question, declared that the crews of German submarines were not kept in solitary ' confinement. T'icy received simlar treatl ment to other prisoners of war, except ' that they were kept separate from other ' prisoners. 7 Mr. Joynson-Hieks declared that he ' hoped the answer would be forwarded • to America for publication in Germany.

GERMAN ILL-TREATMENT OF i OUR MEN. PUBLIC 1X1)11 iXATIOX RISING. Received May 1, 12.1.1 iv.ni. London, -April 30. The Morning Post says tliey cannot doubt the dominions' loyalty to co-oper-ate and attn.h German property in tlic Empire as reprisals ..or the treatment of prisoners. Popular opinion is rising against the nameless horrors, and a public demonstration should be organised throughout the Empire and demand that the Government should do something more than utter platitudes. THE BELGIAN REFUGEES. 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 were employed in munition factories. The public has already supplied the demand of the War Office for respirators for the Soldiers. _ . _ . ,