BRITAIN'S PART.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15603, 30 May 1916, Page 7

BRITAIN'S PART.

OUTPUT OF MUNITIONS

THE QUESTION OF HOLIDAYS. VIEWS OF EMPLOYERS. (Uy Cable. —Press Association. —Copyright) (Received Mav 2&th, 5.50 n.m.) LONDON, May 29. Mr Lloyd George's appeal for the sacrifice of the "Whitsuntide holidays has met with a mixed reception. The armament and munition works masters of Sheffield are not favourable to tho proposal, which they say will ''penalise the good workers, while the bad workers will take their holiday anyway. Many men on the stall of Vickers, Ltd., have worked 83 hours weekly since tho war began. It is also necessary to clean flues, furnaces, and forges, and to repair tho machinery. Tho masters of Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow, express similar viows, though they aro willing to forego tho holiday if there is urgent temporary need. Others have suggested that instead of a general holiday tho workers should bo allowed a few days off duty in rotation, like the soldiers at tho front. Many miners have decided to take only one day off.

THE WELSH COAL MINERS

ADMIRALTY'S REQUEST

LONDON, May 28. The Admiralty have requested tho Welsh miners to restrict the AVhitsuntide holidays to a single day.

A SOLDIER'S APPEAL

NEED FOR MAXIMUM EFFOBT,

CRITICAL SIX MONTHS AHEAD

LONDON, May 28. Major J. N. Griffiths, M.P., of tho 2nd Kirijr Edward's Horse, who has been fourteen months at the front, makes a striking appeal to munition workers through the "Weekly Despatch." Ho says that the next six months -will be the most critical time of the whole war.

"We are/' ho says, "passing rapidly to our zenith, arid tho enemy's effort 3 arc ever increasingly violent. We shall be in the gravest danger if we are caught short of ammunition or guns with the enemy commanding apparently unlimited supplies of both. The I observanco of the Whitsun holidays, which means an inevitable curtailment of tho output of munitions, will bo little short of murder for the Tommies in the trenches.

"This is a gun war. Verdun has proved that any shortage is fatal. Men without guns and shells do not count, and any shortage or waste means tlio sacrifice of thousands of lives. Wo never until recently had guns or ammunition approaching anywhere near the total available against us.

'"All tliesc long months wo havo been struggling to equalise conditions. "We. are now on the right road and are overtaking the Germans. I do not believe that wo arc going to bo let down becnusc munition workers are determined to take holidays. The seienco of gun reading enables the enemy to discover your weakness—whether you are conserving ammunition or awaiting guns. Let the munition workers treat themselves to the best of all holidays, the on c enjoyed by the mind from a senso of duty done, giving the mind a rest from the terrible thought that slackness on your part has compromised the Army's safety. If we all play up well, wo shall put our soldiers weli on" towards their goal. If there is any slackness, I fear to contemplate the consequences. Tt is just a* serious as that."

PAPER MONEY.

POLITICAL ECONOMIST'S VIEWS

LONDON, May 28. Professor Fox well. Professor of Political Economy in the Univeisitv of London and St.. John's College, Cambridge, in the course ol : a lecture delivered in London, said he hoped that now that the public had taken kindly to paper money there would be no sudden replacing or notes after the war by gold, otherwise there would be a sharp fall in prices comparable with the depression after the conclusion of peace in 1815.

INCOME TAX ON SHARES

LONDON. May 28. Owing to Mr McKcnua's forthcoming additional incomc tax on Amorican securities, many holders congregated at the National Debt Office on Saturday, offering to sell their shares.

In the House of Commons last Thursday, Mr R. McKenna, Chancellor of the Exchequer, gave notice of his intentiou to introduce an additional income tax of two shillings in tlie without exception or abatement, on. incomes from stocks, shares, and securities, which the Treasury was willing to purchase to maintain, foreign exchanges.