South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-30
TAX ON LIQUOR IS
RAISED BY BRITISH
Lloyd Georges Program Which
is Expected to Lessen Drink
inc Habit, is Passed BY a
Vote of 80 to 5.

LONDON, April go - Chancellor
Idoyd-George submitted the govern
menfs liquor program to the house Of
commons Thursday afternoon and
Immediately moved that it's most i'm
portant provision, an increase of $500
per proof gallon in the duty on wills
key. brandy and gin should be adopted
~ once and put into effect immedi-
ately.
1T IL necessary TO pass this resolu-
ton tonight" he explained, IN order
10 prevent the withdrawal OF Splits
from bond"
The house divided on the resolution
II was the first division since the be-
ginning of the war. Mr.. Lloyd
Georges victory, however, was COM
plete. The resolution was carried by
a vote OF 50 &c 5.
The former duty on spirits was 10
shiIings a proof gallon. The bill adds
is shillings and pence "a gallon, more
than doubling the tax. The taxes on
other alcoholic drinks are increased
in like proportion. varying however
according to their strength and char
acter.
Duty Is Graduated.
on beer the new excise duty is grad
uated from - 10 80 shillings (S3 TO
SO a barrel. according TO its str ength
The duty on sparkling wines becomes
I2s Der gallon. on other wines the
present duties are quadrupled. These
rates take effect from May 3. The
resolution imposing them was adopted
by a vote OF "a TO 8 without discus
sion.
The government is to control the
sale of ali liquors in areas where war
material is produced and where ship
ping is carried on. The present pub
lie houses iii these areas are TO be re
formed. or. in many cases. put out or
business. HoC 5 for sale viii be re-
str.cted and the use of light and non
Intoxicating drinks will be encouraged.
Financial sufferers are to be cOmpen-
stated. A commission will be appointed
TO attend 20 this matter.
Thus ends one of the bitterest and
most interesting campaigns ever
waged in England That it has been
"a source Of serious embarrassment to
the government was indicated by the
chancellor in his speech this after
noon.
Never Again." He says.
"The task of finding a solution TO
the drink problem is the worst that
could possibly befaIl a minister" he
said in introducing the bin. After II
weeks of work on the problem / am
prepared 10 take a pledge never TO
touch dring again-pOlitically. Every
government which has touched alcohol
has burned its fingers in the lGrid
glow"
Nothing but real necessity" he
continued ''has driven the govern
ment 10 submit these proposals. The
consideration of this question was
forced upon us by the officials who
are responsible for the output of war
material When the time comes TO
drive the enemy out of Flanders and
Trr4uaa tho avpau6ifuTp ~ qmUnIni To-
ton and material mus; be on "A scale
unprecedented i'm any war. The re-
ports showed that the drink evil was
largely responsible for our failure To
produce material and ammunition as
fast as we should.
I'm the ship Yards the slackness
was so great as to cause serious
anxiety 90 the fleet commanders. Every
report received by the government
both from the ship yards and the royal
arsenals was To the effect that the
lack of efficiency and the failure of the
men TO show mp for their work was
due TO excessive drinking among a
section of the workmen. The latest
reports indicated that in spite of the
recent agitation on this subject there
had been no perceptible improve
meut
Much Time lost.
In one important works the los.
uf time i'm a week by filters was ..
percent: in another il was Is percent
both were attributed TO drink. In the
transport service the director stated
that IL was being conducted undel
serious difficulties owing to eNceSsiV,
drinking. The delay was "a real danger
to the success of naval and militar,
operations.
-Out of 5000 employees in one mu
milton plant alone $500 of the work
crs failed 10 resume work after tn
three days holiday at Easter. \
Portsmouth IS percent of the mel
are working am average of 60 hour
and more a week, but Portsmouth j
the one exception. In other big shil
yards the average number OF hours i
little greater than i'm ordinary times
THE English nation must Subordi
nate everything TO this struggle an
clear away all obstacles that we ma,
win the war. Victory is largely
question of material"
Continuing. the chancellor cNplaine,
that the government had decided tina
mere restriction of the hours of sal
would not be adequate To deal with tn
question. The government he said
did not feel itself justified I'm adoptin
total prohibition until it had trie
everything else. prohibition woul
lee too serious interference with tn
peoples habits" ne declared.
Mr.. Lloyd-GeOrgc then outlined tn
proposed measure as stated above I'll
estimated that the new duties on bee
would produce SS.00O.000 of revenu
and that the duties on wines woul
produce S7.500,000.