BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1915, Page 5

BRITAIN.

NATIONAL SERVICE. PROPOSAL DBSOOBSED IS -~ " PABIIAMMT. ''* Received Bept, 17, 850 pa ' London, Sept. 16. " Kr. Lloyd George has appointed an Influential committee of physicians and industrial experts to advise the Munitions Department regarding industrial fatigue, hours of labor, and matters affecting the health and physical efficiency of workers. In the House of Commons, on the discussion of the credit vote, Colonel Arthur Lee said he would not advocate compulsory recruiting. The Allies, however, could not achieve victory without much greater forces, and we were the only nation able to supply extra men. The present Munitions Act showed that it was impossible to coerce 200,000 men, and what was going to happen if we tifed to coerce three million? If they wanted industrial revolution let them proceed with the conscription agitation. He denied that the voluntary system was a failure; the workers were spending ■ their life-blood to crush Prussian militarism, and let that be accomplished by the freedom of .the British people, The conscription methods were odious and unjust. Hon. Sir P. R, Whittaker said the agitation was an attempt to rush the Government, and he protested against soldiers assisting in a political agitation that was fostered by a section of the press. Mr. J. H. Thomas (Labor M.P. for Derby) said the last soldier had already been taken from the miners and railway workers, and there was a shortage of agriculture and munition workers; and m order that the supporters of national service should consider what might happen, every lodge and railway union had informed the executive that up to the introduction of the measure they would stop, with their past experience. Mr. G. Oave did not believe that Mr. Thomas had accurately represented the workers' feelings. The point to be determined, and he hoped it would be determined promptly, was whether the existing system would yield sufficient recruits. Mr. Llewellyn Williams said that any decline in recruiting would be due .to the present controversy. Sir. H. Craig denounced the Government for shillyshallying on the ques- ■ tion. Mr. Ellis Griffith said that national service was founded on justice, and the obligation to defend the country should Jail equally on all. Mr. J. D. Millar declared that the debate was futile, In the absence of any definite, lead from the Government. Mr. Lief' Jones said that the voluntary system had justified ifeetf, and it would be madness to plunge into the unknown when the step might have fatal consequences. Mr. Whitehonse, said that the gramophone press which had kindled this agitation had greatly misrepuesented public opinion. WORKERS AND THE WAR. VARIETY OF ARGUMENTS. Received Sept. 17,. 10.25 p.m. London, Sept. 17. Sir Ivor Herbert did not believe in the menace of industrial revolution, prophesying that if such did occur, it would be the end "of trade unionism. Mr. Llewellyn Williams accepted the warning, but believed that, oven if Parliament unanimously adopted compulsion, it would be unable to enforce it upon the hosts of unwilling citizens with strong conscientious objections. If, however, the Government adduced evidence as to the necessity, he would accept compulsion. Ultimately the Consolidated Fund Bill was read a first time. Mr. Asquith and Mr. Churchill entered during Mr. Thomas' 'speech, and listened to its end with marked attention. HURRYING UP. Received Sept. 17, 10.55 p.m. London, Sept. 17. Mr. Lloyd George, replying to the Coventry Labor Committee's denial that they had circularised woifcmen declaring against rapidity of work, quotes a letter signed by the secretary of the committee calling his fellow workmen nonworkmen because they finished in 8J hours a job on a howitzer which normally took 31i hours. It was a regrettable instance among many wherein the war workers were discouraged in assisting the country by doing their utmost in the hour of need. The Workers' National Committee adopted a resolution opposing compulsary military, still more industrial service, especially if establishments were run for private profit, where trade union's were powerless to regulate the condition of wages. j OUTPUT OF MUNITIONS. T-TCATyrms AND WORKERS CONFER. London, Sept. 17. • The National Advisory Committee met In conference with 260 trade unionists • in connection with the munitions output, Mr. Lloyd George, in a lengthy speech, urged acceleration, and concrete proposals were djra.wn mj,

IS A CRISIS APPROACHING? LABOR MEMBER'S PASSIONATE SPEECH." Received Sept. 17, 11.30 p.m. London, Sept. 17. Mr. Thomas'speech was a feature of the debate, speaking like a torrent, excitedly and passionately, and with a tremendous sincerity which startled the House. While foreshadowing the stoppage of railways in the event of the enforcement of compulsion, he did not pretend to justify such an action. He frankly emphasised the difficulty, even how, of controlling the failwaymen'a unrest, and implored the House not to increase the difficulty. He declared bluntly that the are suspicious of many of the < advocates of conscription, and they suspected some ulterior motive. "What's the garnet" he shouted. "Is it to remove the Prime Minister!" (Loud Radical cheers.) ' The Prime Minister, he continued, could not be replaced in this national crisis, and the Labor Party would rally to his support if, on the other hand, there was no intrigue in the agitation, (but only honest belief that the war could not be won by other means than the present system. He repeated Ms warnings that conscriptionists would split the nation at a time when labor leaders required to concentrate all their efforts towards maintaining industrial peace. ' ■■"»+»' Referring to the possible attempt to remove the Prime Minister, he asked: "Suppose you force an election, and suppose you win, will you use soldiers against the minority, with food op 35 per cent.!" The Times eayß that Mr. Thomas' hint as to the possibility of an election is the first reference in the Commons, although the matter has been frequently discussed in the lobby. A new group, drawn from Unionists and Liberals, represents tie first attempt since the formation of the Coalition Government to give organised expression to what in peace time would be regarded as an opposition policy. The Daily News lobbyist says that the country is faced with a political criaia of the first magnitude. CASUALTY LISTS. DARDANELLES AND ELSEWHERE. London, Sep'.. 10. Mr. Tennant, in announcing the casualties in the Dardanelles, added that the missing to August 21 numbered $73 officers and 8021 men. The casualties from July 28 to August 21 were 38,392. The British casualties all over the world for the same period were 00/393. ' !EHE WOOL SUPPLY. Received Sept. 17, 9.30 p.m. London .Sept. 17. Sinee the estimate of wool available for export was made the War Trade Department has learned that the invisible stock in, the West Riding (Yorkshire) are considerable, and has now decided that there are 125,000 bales of crossbred and similar wool, whereof 50,000 bales are English, that can be spared. The Department is prepared to consider applications for licenses to export to approved destinations. . STRIKE IN YORKSHIRE. London, Sept. 10. A further thousand men in Yorkshire are idle, owing to an overtime dispute. INCREASED WAGES. London, Sept. 10. The Board of Trade Btates that over two and a half million workers have received bonuses and increases of wages since the outbreak of the war, amounting to £475,000 weekly, apart from overtime. ( RATLWAYMEN'S CONFERENCE. * London, Sept. 10. The Railwaymen's Conference urged (branches to refrain from ill-advised action pending the completion of negotiations with the railway companies. THE BUDGET. London, Sept. 10. The Budget statement will be delivered on Tuesday. PRIZE COURT DECISION. -jc- ___ ~~ London, Sept. 10. Justice Sir S. T. Evans, in the Admiralty Court, gave judgment as to four Scandinavian vessels carrying cargoes to Copenhagen. It was alleged that they were really destined for Germany. It was said that the vessels had thirteen times the usual amount of good 9 for that port, including hundreds of thousands of tins of canned meat, apparently intended for the German army. Sir S. T. Evans decided that the destination of the goods was the German army or navy, and confiscated the cargoes, except a small proportion which had been realised. The judgment affects forty-two vessels, also the shipments of many meat-packers, including Armours, Swifts, and Morris. LAND FOR SOLDIERS London, Sept. 10. The Hon. T. Mackenzie gave evidence before the Committee for Land Settlement for Soldiers and Sailors. He outlined the system and potentialities pi land settlement is Ntw Zealand. - :