Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-03-02
BRIT AIN HIT HARD
BY U-BOAT DRIVE
Premier Tells Commons Men
ace is Critical.
FOOD SUPPLIES ARE LOW
Disaster Ahead If Nation Does Not
Accept Drastic Measures-Will Bar
All Luxures.


Accept Drastic Measures-Will Bar
All Luxuries.
David Lloyd George, prime min.
lister of Great Britain, said in
speech in the house of ccm-
mons that the success of the al
! lied cause depended on the ability to
solve the tonnage shortage, which
was now affecting the ordinary needs
of the nation and military exigeno1es.
The stocks of food in Great Britain
at the present time are lower than
they have ever been before, he assert
ed. It was essential for the life OF
| the nation that every possible effort
be made to increase home production.
The situation, he declared, called
| for the gravest measures.
In his speech, which lasted an hour
! and half, the premier presented his
program for coping with the problem.
| The speech was a serious and grave
effort, Lloyd George giving his audi
| ence little opportunity for applause,
and endeavoring to concentrate atten-
ton on the serious situation with
which the nation is faced owing to
the shortage of food stocks and the
German submarine menace.
His program for dealing with, the
| situation was under two heads, the
first, to increase the home food pro-
duction. and the second the curta!l-
ment of non-victual imports.
Under the first head he outlined a
scheme for speeding up" the farmer
by guaranteeing him good prices for
his commodities over period of years
thus inviting him to plow and sow
every inch of available land.
This he supplemented by the an
| nouncement that the land owner would
be actually forced to cultivate his
land.
The speeding up Of the leisure'y
| British farm laborer-who for a score
of years has been regarded as the
poorest paid laborer in England, was
provided for by the premier by the
guaranteeing him a minimum wage CT
twenty-five shillings (S6.25) week
instead of the present fourteen to
eighteen shillings $3.50 to $4.50).
Under the head of curtailment OF
imports Lloyd George said he expect.
ed to reduce the demands on cargo
space by several million tons. Food,
stuffs, of which 100000 tons were
imported last year, will be cut down
nearly a million tons by Topping OFF
certain luxuries. Paper users who al
ready have been considerably curtatl'
ed must henceforth get along with
only half the supply they are now re-
ceiving, thus saving 100000 tons.
Certain savings also will be affected
| in the import Of. ore which now
amounts to 100000 tons annually and
In lumber which at present is 100000
| tons
The importation of books, period
Gals and other printed matter will be
prohibited entirely.
The government would guarantee a
| price Of thirty eight shillings six pence
(s9.62) for oats this year, Thirty-two
shillings (SS) for the next two years,
and twenty-four shillings ($6) for the
three following years. The price OF
potatoes would be guaranteed for the
coming season only at e6 $500 ton
The prime minister expressed the
| opinion that food prices were not like
ly to decrease for long time afteT
| the war, inasmuch as Germany w,u'd
then be heavier purchaser than ever
before. Therefore 1t was safe to gran
to the farmers a minimum price over
a definite period of time, which was
the only way to bring about immediate
action.
For wheat the government will guar
antee the farmer the following min
mum prices quarter: Fer the pres
ent year, sixty shillings (s15); TO-
| 1918 and 1919, fifty-fv9 shilling
(s13.5O; for 1920, 1921 and 1922, forty
|. five shillings (s1125).