The sun., 1908-11-01
WORK AND DRINK N BRITAIN.
JOHN BURNS'S SEVEN SHILLING
TALK START. AN OUTCRY.
Government In Trouble pver Its IAeenS-
Ing Bill--SIuc sundays for London II
II Passesr-Amundscn Has Esw Plan
TO Get - the Pole-SOcIal Outlook.
: sgeeIal faDle DespateA :, TaE Sos.

II passesN-Amundsc Has New PIar
TO Get - the Poie-SOciaI outlook
Z. Special fab,e Despatch {, THE SUN
= LONDON. 0ct. 31.--John Rurns, speak
d ing In the House of Commons the other
!. day on the question of the unemployed.
4 declared that the average workman spent
seven shillings (sl.75) a week for drink;
! II he devoted this slfri TO life insurance
J most Of tho presentfroubles Of the unem-
) ployed would oteyist. Mr.. Burns added
\ that the Amyfioan unemployed were
better dressed than their English con-
temporaries, after they had been idle for
a time bseause they did not spend their
' money for liquor.
This has aroused a strong protest from
Mr.. yBurns's former friends throughout
the country. who say speaking Of his
address, "They lie in their teeth who
say the unemployed are drunkards, "
These critics say that statistics show
that the annual output Of beer in the
United Kingdom has. fallen from $40
gallons per capita in fs09 to 27.6s in 1907
and of spirits in the same period from
r1.1s to 90 per capita.
Commoner Lodge OF the British Steel
workers Union, who was in America last
year. said in an interview that drunken
ness was on the increase in the United
States. He was IN America in 1900 and at
that time he gained the impression that
the proportion of sober men in America
was greater than in England In 1901.
however after spending three months
in the United States among mixed
workers of all classes he found all the
time that drunkenness was on the in
crease in that country. He added:
The delegates to our trade congress
were much more sober and temperate
than similar delegates to the American
Federation of Labor Congress" ....
TO DRIFT AcEoss THE PoLE.
Definite plans have beea drawn up FOR
Norwegian north pole expedition under
the leadership of Amundseu. who took
the first ship through the Northwest
Passage. Amundsen plans drift voyage
across the north polar ocean. The central
idea is the same ss Nansen's, but the
lesson of that explorers voyage led to
the conclusion that vessel entering the
ice considerably east OF the point where
the Fran YVES frozen in would probably
drift further north and be carried over
or quite close to the pole
Amundsen proposes to enter the north
polar zone through Boring Strait end
fasten his ship in the ice northwest of
Point Barrow. the most ncrtherly point
of Alaska. He is prepared TO drift for
five and possibly six years
LICENSING BILL Tr ouRLEe.
The Government is wabblng over the
poorly drafted licensing bill in a manner
nAat is little calculated to increase the
I5opularity of the measure or the prestige
of the Ministers The latest action has
been to include London in a new Sunday
measure which was originally intended
for the country alone. This rncsns that
lcepsed public houses in London are
TO be open only for three hours on Sum
day. One OF these three hours must be
between noon and o'clock end the other
two Between y and H.
This would practically ruin the res
taurant and Sunday luncheon business
and go far toward running the Sunday
dinner business, especially in high class
where the consumption of
alcoholic drinks is relatively very small.
Bright Sunday dinnor parties with the
accompaniment of a good band and fire.
Guently vocal concert have been on the
increase in recent years and have formed
n welcome relief to Londons proverb-
tally dull Sunday. This inclusion OF
London in the bill has been adopted as
a sop to the extreme teetotallers, who
certain privileges to condemned licenses
for seven years when the original fourteen
have expired.
SOCIAL NOTES.
Lord Curzon is contemplating q long
cruise for the sake of his health, which !
Is not reestablishing itself as it shou Id !
since his motor accident His recovery |
has been more difficult than is usual after /
such accidents.
The formation OF the usual groups OF !
Americans in winter house parties for /
hunting in I.eicestershire is being COM
pleted rapidly. Among the Americans
already settled at Melton Mowbray is |
lex ander Cochrane at Hamilton Lodge. ,
who is getting together string OF horses. |
John X. Townsend and Peter Gerry in
END to hunt together at Melton Mowbray. |
bringing their horses across with them.
Mr.. and Mrs. Eugene Reynal have also |
brought their own horses and have taken |
4 house at Thorpe's Stachvill
Nr. and Mrs. Strawbridge have just |
arrived at Sysonhy Lodge, where they ,
intend to entertain largely.
Craig Wadsworth has given up the
lorses OF Clarke Cotton fame who hunted |
Ior few seasons at Pytchley and has
AIKEN Gilsborough Hall, near Rugby