JOYS OF DRINKING

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 January 1928, Page 10

JOYS OF DRINKING

G. K. CHESTERTON’S HUMOUR. \ G. K. Chesterton came to lecture in Glpgow, recently, and addressed the students in support of the candidature of Sir Herbert Samuel for the Lord Rectorship, writes Richard Lee in the “San Francisco Chronicle.” It was an amusing speech, but it was difficult to see its connection with liberalism and the rectorial election. Chesterton is a,great advocate of beer and freedom. These themes were prominent in his address. He spoke contemptuously of the«jnodern organised hotel and gave a glowing description of the comforts and glories of the old-fashioned inn', where a man could get his beer and quaff it in happiness and contentment. There'was much in the address about the joys of drinking and many quips at teetotalers. The chairman had made some com-

parison between Chesterton and John Stuart Mill. “But lam not like John Stuart Mill,” said G. K. “He was too straitlaced and would have been a better man if he had got drunk occasionally—not too drunk, but moderately drunk.” He also paid some left-handed compliments to big business and men like Woolworth and Selfridge. One student asked whether he would spend a penny on a Woolworth weighing machine. “Yes,” answered the Falstaffian Chesterton, “I think I will break my rule and go to Woolworth’s and break up his machine.” The students had an unroarious time, but probably the candidature of Sir Herbert Samuel suffered. Sir Robert Horne, late Chancellor of the Exchequer, recently spoke at a meeting to encourage young women to become' domestic servants. There was a crowded, fashionable audience, but hardly a domestic servant was to be seen. Sir Robert devoted a rather long speech to the subject of emigration, which is the one specific of this statesman for all social ills.

Before the war we sent away 200,000 persons a year. Now we send only. 90,000 or less. This is the cause of unemployment, as we employ in our industries just as many men as before the war. When Sir Robert Horne was the Chancellor he set aside £3,000,000 a year for helping workers to get abroad. Only one-half has been used. The people do not want to go. Three reasons were given by Sir Robert for this lack of appreciation of the benefits of emigration: — 1. Working people love their own country best and are loath to leave it. 2. They love the dole, which keeps them alive in idleness. 3. They are not willing to face hardship as their fathers were. The comment made on this deliverance was that if you reduced our population by ten millions it does not follow you would get Paradise Regained. Taxes are double in Scotland what

they were before the war. The cost of living is 70 per cent, higher and the value of money is nearly one-half. The great firms in the west of Scotland have issued an election manifesto in which they ask the electors to vote once more to power those who have been ■- responsible for the heavy burden of taxes. There is not a single public body in the west of Scotland but is controlled by the Moderate Party. And this Moderate Party is financed by these big firms. They can carry what measures they like to reduce the rates.