The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-11-24
UNREST TEARS At
HEART OF BRITAIN
BY MARY HENKE.

BY MARY HENkE.
LONDON, Nov. 2.-The war has
been ended a year and in that time
England has made almost no visible
progress toward settling it's many
problems Of readjustment. The nation
stands almost where it did when the
armistice was signed last November.
The delay in action which has been
most criticized is that relating to hous-
ing. Almost no houses have been built
during the last year and the demand
for homes has increased daily. The
situation has become so desperate that
returned service men have found them
selves in many cases unable to house
themselves and their families. Labor
candidates made the housing situation
their main issue in the London mu-
nicipal elections, and it was shown to
have strong effect on the votes cast.
The vascillating attitude toward the
use Of wooden houses is partially re-
sponsible for the small amount Of
building. Sufficient wooden houses
could have been imported from Amer
lea to solve the problem it is claimed,
but instead such proposal is still only
IN the state of argument.
The government has been spending
great deal of money this year, but
as yet, no means has been devised
for making up the deficit. Higher tax
alton and prize bonds, and even a
national lottery, which would give the
Englishman his opportunity of indulg-
ing in sporting chance" have been
proposed, but nothing has been acted
upon. In the recent debate in parlia-
ment on the financial situation, Lloyd
George and the finance ministers
succeeded in convincing the public
that the situation was not quite SO
black as 1t was painted last August,
but the fact stands that there has
been waste in government expendi
lures and that little has been done to
check it.
Soldiers Sighted.
The care of returned service men
has been imperfect. While many bus
former employees into service, there re-
mains a great army of ex-soldiers who
went into the army as unframed
youths, and are coming out without
job or a trade. The unemployment
problem promises to be serious this
winter, with more men being discharg-
ed from the service daily.
Many industries seem to have found
reimbursement difficult and are taking
lOuS tlIl6 W SSL OC1CA " tAC1A OlA
production output. French automobile
factories are getting back to pre-
war basis much more rapidly than the
English. The latter are running out
only a small proportion of the cars
in demand, and the prices of these are
mounting monthly. putting the auto
mobiles almost beyond the reach of
the average purchaser
Tho Ia hor situation which inst now
seems less serious than 1t does in the
United States is only temporarily set
tied and promises still further Difficult
ties. There Is the demand for nation
alization Of miners still pending and
the settlement with the railroad men
is only tentative. One question, that
OF the "open shop" which has been
the cause Of so much labor difficulty
in America, does not have to be met
with here Trade unions and collec-
tive bargaining have long been rec
cgnized by British employers, and the
main source Of labor agitation here
has been the wage increase and hour
questions The employment Of wom-
en- has usually been a sore point with
the British workingman. He is will
ing that woman have political rights,
but when it comes to admitting her
TO industry. even in a capacity in
which she is peculiarly fitted, he en-
tiers strong and If occasion demands
drastice opposition.
u. S. Is Feared.
The trade prosperity of the United
States and the comparative ease with
which the country is recovering from
the effects of the war are closely
watched by the British press and pub
lie. The shipping enterprises of
America receive especial attention,
and an Englishman who recently re-
turned from the state declared that
England could easily compete with
America in trade, pointing that
American shippers spent three times
as much to fit up a tramp steamer as
a British company did. 1t is recogniz-
ed that the United States will have the
edge on European nations for some
time to come. because Of its ready
wealth, and there are sometimes in,
dividual expressions Of envy in con.
trasting the position Of England and
the United States. The general tone
however. OF both press and public, Is
very friendly to America and appre
ciative of the military and financial
cervtco the nation hos roDdore6