The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-27
ENGLAND
IS IN BAD Way
THOUSANDS IDLE

The fact that England is for the first
time a debtor instead Of a creditor ma
ton. and the additional fact that the
English government Is paying fOrmer
war workers a bonus as long As they
are unemployed, are the principal rea
sons for the present condition OF affairs
n England, according TO the opinion "
J. G. J. Perkins, OF the firm OF Smith
a. Perkins, whu has Just returned from
land.
Industry in England is at a stand
still." Mr.. Perkins said. THE working
classes-both men and women-who
we're formerly engaged In work that
contributed 10 the conduct OF the war
are receiving q bonus from the govern
nlent II they are unemployed, and there
are hundreds Of thousands OF them who
are unemployed They are apparently
making no effort to return TO their pre-
war occupations, and as a result in
dustrg is parslyEed,
Wages are much lower in England
than they are In the United States, al
though the necessities Of life are as high
there, Of not higher. than here, Carpen-
tiers n other building trade workers
are receiving very low wages, as com
pared to the same trades In the United
States. Carpenters are getting about
40 cents an hour. A railroad engineer
over there gets about SIS per week
Win NAitbb ANNtulAiblNH AAloAihks AAT
masses are not attempting to go 10
work as long as the government Is pay
ing them a bonus weekly, However,
this bonus will cas- Jan. |.
There are many smart men in En-
gland who are doing everything they
can TO bring conditions hack to normal
but England is for the first time placed
in the position OF being a debtor IN
stead Of a creditor nation. The English
man does not think as rapidly as an
american, and Cannot adjust himself 70
the new conditions as rapidly as an
American can, and these facts contrib
ute largely TO the unsettled conditions.
Prices for some things have reached
unheard of levels. In one instance n
1914 model Ford a sold for 81 $50, !
saw another automobile Of British make
that had been run 10000 miles. Just
out OF curiosity, l asked the price, and
II was $4,000, If proper shipping IA
ciRties could be secured, some Ameri.
can could get rich transporting used
automobiles from the United States to
England"
Mr.. Perkins was away three months,
Ills business was concluded IN about
ten days, and the greater portion of the
time spent in England was taken up IN
trying to get accommodations back TO
the United States, He had booked pas
sage on the AdriatiC ana was ~dled
10 leave Liverpool on july ~, The
sailing date was postponed to the. 18TH.
and again TO the Path, and finally he
departed on July 2S, Tho fact that he
got away then vas due entirely 20 for
funate circumstances, he said, a strike
was in progress among the men who
open the dock gates, and but for the
earnest plea Of hundreds OF Canadian
officers and soldiers scheduled to return
10 Canada, the strikers would not have
permitted the vessels 10 sail, However,
two vessels were given permission to
leave, and one Of them was the Adri-
attic, on which MIR. Prkins had passage
Travel in England Is very heavy, "
Mr. Perkins stated. "and hotel accom-
mpdations are extremely hard to get.
Unless one knows the ropes he may be
forced to walk the streets On London
or Liverpool all night"
The people OF Scotland afforded Mr..
Perkins much amusement IN their ell
forts along financial lines, Ills descrtp-
iion of the efforts to float an issue OF
Victory bonds reflects the national at
titude along that line
when a Scotch business man Is Sc
lected upon for committee work to raise
funds he docs not 20 out with a com
mittee and call on utter strangers, MS
do the Americans, He confines his ac-
tlvities TO his intimate anquaintances.
Ne raises the money al right, hut the
masses are not reached, AS q special
inducement 10 promote the purchase oil
Victory bonds, those persons who in
vested GI00 we're given a chance tC
win $50, 900 In honds--a sort OF lottery
proposition, The smaller Investors wer'
given chances at smaller PRICES, but tn
great mass OF small investors wouldn'
buy because they were not given {
chance Mt the big prize without the ne
cessity Of investing Gl00
when the Scotch women undertake
to have a tag day for phllanthropi'
purposes, similar to those OF America
they do not show the initiative that u,
American shows, l was tagged
several times while was there, ana II
nearly every Instance ! had 10 help the
woman out who approached me, Sh,
acted as though she didn't know just
how to 60 about it,
Some radical change will take plac,
In England when the government stops
payment of the bonus. according TO Mr.
Perkins. He il assured that England
eventually will resume her place In In
dustrial and financial lines, but he pre-
diets that q much longer period OF time
will he required for adjustment than u
this country,