THE REAL LLOYD GEORGE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 44, 17 September 1918, Page 3

THE REAL LLOYD GEORGE.

THE EVOLUTION OF A STATESMAN. | ENGLAND’S PRIME MINISTER FAVORS STATE OWNERSHIP, j Before the war Mr Lloyd George was described as a rabid ist. When the war wa s two months going ho said, “Drink was a greatei’j enemy than Germany.” That was in 19J.4. But Mr Lloyd George changed his views. | The U.Xv. Alliance (which is the parent of the N.Z. Alliance) made charges against the men working in| shipyards, and the General "Workers’j Union described the Alliance’s ebar-j ges as a “campaign of lies and insults levelled at the working classes of Great Britain.” '

Mr Lloyd George realised the truth of the workers’ complaint, and his sympathies turned to the workers. His next step was taken on April 30th, 1915, when he Bn id in Ids hrst Budget speech : . Every man who drinks a glass of beer is now contributing one halfpenny to the War Fund, and providing Silver Bullets to Destroy the Germans. Prohibitionists contribute nothing , in this way to win thy war, and by taking away the working man’s heverjage they were endeavour.ng 'to cause a revolution in England as in Rus- , sia, and so, in effect, throwing the ■ British Empire at the feet of Germany. j Mr Lloyd George, extolled the workers. Ho denounced the PrnhihitionI ist as “the elusive teetotaller” in his j second Budget speech, and imposed taxation that Prohibitionists couid not escape, saying:—

“I think I hove caught the elusive teetotaller this time.”

Mr Lloyd George made inquiries into the allegations of the Prohibitionists against the worker, and in letter to the “Daily News” (London) he said; ‘Only a few workers have boon drinking.”

From that time the U.K. Alliance and its miniohs 'have not been .fqir to England’s Premier; and although the j?.Z. Alliance- Ms usftd hishfirst;,statement to advance their cause, t-hey have 1 never hinted 'That. Mr Lloyd George has changed hi’s views, j

What sealed aMr . -Lloyds-Georjgo’s fate as tar as the Prohibitionists were concerned was his advocacy of State; purchase and control. They tried their utmost to embarrass the Prime Minister ' and "to* 'shako' the Coalition Government.

The Prohibitionists opposed the institution of the Central Board of Control, but Mr Lloyd George created it. This hoard was empowered by the Act of its appointment-to pay “fair and •-Adequate compensation tor, all emitting 'lnterests lliat are damaged or taken over.” . • . ....

This hoard took over and, purchased four breweries and 104 -hotels-in Carlisle" alone, arid- the; cliairrilari Rf the board in a recent, statement,:',.slio.wed that this venture, after paying all legitimate* a profit of 16. per cent. ' Mr Lloyd-’George-has 1 - s’ihbe (as reported by cablegram iij all New Zealand papers) riiadc this statement:- — “Personally I am of opinion that State Purchase is the best way to prepress and temperance.” In his article, “The Real Lloyd George,” in the “Strand” for March, 1917, Mr T. P. O’Connor tells how Mr Lloyd George is not a teetotaller, and' that “his one self-indulgence is a cigar.” i

If, the electors of New Zealand desire to follow in the footsteps of “The Man Wh 0 Has Saved the Empire” they will support “State Purchase and Control,” and sign the Monster Petition of the National Council with the three issues; National .Continuance, National Ownership, and National Prohibition, for Patriotism, Freedom and Democracy. 51.