THE DRINK EVIL.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15267, 1 May 1915, Page 9

THE DRINK EVIL.

GOVERNMENT MEASURES

INTRODUCED

INCREASED TAXATION

STATEMENT BY MR LLOYD

GEORGE

NAVAL AND MILITARY ■OPERA-

TIONS ENDANGERED.

LONDON, April 20.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Lloyd George, in explaining tlio proposals on the drink question, said that the Government proposed to deal with the excessive drinking among a section only of those who were engaged in tho output of munitions. The nation should esurt its whole strength, subordinate everything to the present struggle, ami remove every obstacle in order to win this war, the outlook being one of life to tho Empire. The evil ho proposed to deal with was so serious that nothing but strong action would enable them to cope with it. Consideration of the question Mas forced upon them by the officials responsiblo for tho output, as the slackness in some of the shipyards was causing serious anxiety to the commanders oi the Fleet. .

At Portsmouth —all honour to the men—7S' per cent, of the workers were working .sixty hours and upwards weekly, compared with the normal forty-eight hours. The moil at sonic other places were doing less than what would be an ordinary week's work under normal conditions. Out of 8000 men of one linn, after three days' holiday at Easter, 1800 failed to return to work on the Tuesday.

Every report declared that the slackness in tho shipyards was duo to excessive drinking among a section of the slackness in the shipyards, due to excesworkers was ascribablo to the fact that they were earning more money than they knt:w what to do "with. Tho reports to tho end of March showed no perceptible improvement. Of 111 men in one firm engaged on wDrk on submarines. 08 wero of! - on one day and •>"> on tho next, this being due ahnoftt entirely to excessive drinking. Jiegardinp; armaments, tho letters -tho Munitions Committee had received from firms ascrihed the .slackness to the came cause. The Director of Transport had stated that his service was conducted under serious difficulty niring io exces-

sive drinking

Mr Lloyd George went on to >>ay that the delay was a real danger to the success of the naval and military operations. However unpleasant the task they had in hand, the Government would be betraying iv trust to the country nnk«.<> it proposed a remedy for all this evil.

The Government proposed to levy a double duty on spirits, a surtax on l>eer of l-s iper barrel 01" 1:$ to 18 specific 'J 4s between 10 and 53,

wines of lo« nor gallon. Mr Lloyd George at the outect em* phaaised that, while tho men at the Royal Dockyards were working .splertdidly. the work dono on the Tyne and at Barrow -\v;is much Jess than migat reasonably bo expected, Tho loss was less in tho armament "works, but even there it was sufficiently serious. He quoted instances where some men were working hours per week in shell and explosive factories, whoso work was hampered by those working only troiu -o U~> 40 hours. He did not sujgiv<t temperance reform, but an act of di<■eipHne for the nation during the war aud for the purpose of the war. Hence, he proposed to restrict as much as possible the sale of spirits and the majority of alcoholic beers. 'Mr J. K. Redmond said that Mr Lloyd George's proposals were cruet and uncalled tor ,<o far an Ireland was concerned, and would be resented by every party in Ireland. Mr Mealy ,vnid that .it' tho Bill pitted it was a cjise of good-bye to tho Homo Rule Act. a> tar as its efficacy was concerned. Mr Lloyd George, in reply to questions. *nid the Bill dealt entirely with control in munitions areas. .Mr Win. O'Brien (member for Corki snid that tho nrojxxsals struck an unjust, and possibly a fatal, blow at the only considerable manufacture left in the throe southern provinces of Jrebuicl The latter ought to be excluded. He said that if Mr Lloyd George miccevded. his new taxes would have r<>Mtlt<s as horrible to Cork us if Cork had been bombarded and sacked by tho Germans. Mr Bonar Law advised the House to wait for Mr Lloyd George's Bill, and the rejjorts on which it was based, before expressing an opinion. Tho House adopted the Customs and Excise resolutions embodying the Chancellor's proposals.