Show POLITICAL H ISSUES ISSUE LOOM LARGE I Ir IN I PROHIBITION FIGHT Brewery Interests Are Almost Entirely Unionist in Part Party Affiliations and rind Drastic Move ove b by Government Government Is Likely to Meet Meet Violent Opposition Distillers Say They Will ViII ill Not No Fight i Restriction Where aisle War Var Measures Are Affected That the government o contemplates dra drastic Uc action to prevent excessive drinking during the period of the war Wilt warIs waris Is certain as that It has hag adequate powers powers powers pow pow- ers un under er the Defense of or the Realms act to put these measures Into auto effect Nothing hut but root and branch methods methods methods meth meth- will be of the tho sll slightest avail nv In dealing dealing deal deal- ing ins with this evil s says ays the chancellor of or the exchequer who has Las been heen soundIng sounding sounding sound sound- ing the country on the subject for some ome weeks seeks The feeling Is that if H we arc are areto I I to settle German militarism Wl v wo must t I I first of all ettle with drink We e e are fighting Germany German Austria and an and as far as ns 1 can s see ee tho greatest reat st of these deadly foes Is drink Now ow eVel every one the one tho distiller tho the brewer tho the publican and the public is ls inquiring what does Mr Lloyd Llo George mean by root and branch methods The question is causing causin greater commotion commotion com coin motion throughout hout the country than an any other topic that has cropped up since c the war ar began Not even the appeals for recruits to the tho workmen to maintain maintain maintain main main- tain the output of or munitions which arc at the bottom of the crusade e a against aln t drink have caused so much ex excitement ex- ex So far as can be bo gathered Mr Ir Lloyd LIoyd Georges George's proposal is In the direction of or orthe the total prohibition during the period of or war of the sale of or excisable liquors That Is Is practically the proposal which was put before him b by the deputation from shipbuilding firms on the Tyne and Cl Clyde e and other othel centers And not one of the deputation was a teetotaler There is of or courso course a difference ot opinion among the ministers minister's at present concerning tho the scope of or the reform which should be he effected Some Rome believe I H 11 would be best est to limit the prohibition to the Kilo saie II of spirits Rut Hut this while permitting the sale of ol beer would also permit the sale of wines It Is felt that If a serious restriction Is to be bo placed pl upon the working classes the tho well to classes should certainly suffer an analogous analogous analo lo gous restriction May Raise Political Issue Tho The subject It will be seen Is In the Initial stages of or ministerial discussion But none the less It may be he sal said that t the general opinion In the government seems to tu be that a further restriction of I the hours of opening of licensed premIses premises premises prem prem- will not suffice to check the evil which v Is retarding progress in the shipyards shipyards ship ship- yards ards factories an and other vi vital vital vital vi- vi i tal In industrial centers If It Mr r. r Georges George's proposal eventually eventually event event- is ag agreed to with or without modifications there is no doubt douht that it must be carried into force by ly legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion tionA A l bill of first class Importance would be he a to all parties in the state Their support must be given en or 01 withheld withheld with with- lel held and h by this the success of or tho alto venture could bo be judged cd at the crucial moment if It not before At present the tho government is not aware what the opinion opinion ion of or the tho rc responsible opposition Is upon this subject and labor opinion has yet yetto yetto yetto to crystallize As a leading lell member of or the whisky trade Sir Thomas rhomas Dwar Dewar while sure the tra trade e is Ig anxious to help the government government govern rn ment In restricting the consumption of strong drink so 50 long as ns it Interferes with pith the output of or the munitions of or war said snit to an Interviewer The members of f the deputation could unit only speak so 50 far as their own o particular lar lai areas were concerned It I Is estimated ed that more than three million persons persons per per- sons tons are connected d with the liquor industries in industries In- In In which there I is in capital c Invested in invested invested In- In vested to th the amount of or I Total prohibition would cau e complete chaos In this trade e not to mention the tho effect on other Industries which are di directly directly directly di- di connected with it Everybody K employed In the allied trades Is anxious to m meet et the government government govern so ment in the matter and assist a. a as far faras faras faras as possible The They are prellar prepared d to make sacrifices and net act up 11 to the wishes of ot those In authority The interests of the thear ar war stand supreme above c everything e that Is readily recognized b by the trade As evidence of this it Is worth noting that licensed throughout the country have ha their on own initiative approached the magistrates tes and offered to reduce the hours of opening their houses rouses Would Increase Unemployment The Tire trade IM tJ willing to accept even cven a further limitation of or the hours of openIng opening open- open In Ing but because there thoro have ha been excesses ex excesses excesses ex- ex through over mer abundance ance of spend spend- spending In ing money mone In those centers where munitions munitions muni muni- of war arc are manufactured manufacture it would seem hard on other parts arts of or the country where wages waKes remain remain at normal rates that teh liberty of or the subject should be interfered with It would hardly serve sor serveto to shorten the war for Instance If prohibition prohibition pro pro- were exercised In the sleepy sleep corners corners corners cor cor- ners of or Surrey Surre or Devon Deyon Speaking for the Brewery Trades' Trades assoc association o of which he Is secretary secretary sec sec- Mr Ir Wilson on said said- If Ie it Is decided to prohibit the sale of drink altogether It will mean menn that half halfa a n million persons alone connected di directly directly dl- dl and anti indirectly with the tho brewInG brewIng brewing brew- brew Ing trade will be bo affected A large proportion proportion pro pro- portion of these too ar are arP- young girls women an and youths not of military age who will be thrown upon tho the nation There Is Invested In the trades connected connected con con- with brewing more than with a weekly meekly wages bill hill roughly of between an and Think what the complete stoppage of drink would mean from a financial point of view It would mean the clo closing down of or all machinery plant and utensil trades In which huge sums are arc Invested Invest Invest- cd ed It would affect farmers collieries grain merchants of all kinds chemists sugar refiners and hundreds of at others Interested in some wa way In tho the trade c. c On the other hand those In favor of or total prohibition cannot see how an any harm mo may come from throwing out of employment the workers who are en engaged engaged enn en- en n ed In the thc distilleries breweries and andIn andin in tho public houses Let them m go KO and do something else the they sn say There Is plenty for them to do In war time In oth other r Holds fields of work vork |