The sun., 1919-02-03
BETTER LIFE is
BRITISH DEMAND
Labor Masses Call for 1t Be-
fore Parliament Is Ready
to Reconstruct.
FIRM HAND Is PREDICTED
Lloyd George Expected to Act
Quickly After He Re-
turns Home.
FIRM HAND IS PREDICTED
Bp the Associated Press.

LONDON, Feb. NO British Parlla-
ment In n century. except the Parlia-
ment Of Premier Asquith. which had on
its shoulders the heavy responsibility Of
deciding whether or not Great Britain
would enter the European war, ever met
with more important work to be dealt
with than the House OF Commons Pre-
mier Lloyd George will find when It holds
its frst meeting on Tuesday.
All the problems OF the new House
NAV ne summarized in the one word
reconstruction.
This is peculiarly a one man and
personal House OF Commons. since its
ruling power IL not a political party but
a coalition group whose members repre-
sent widely different schools and which
depends for its guidance upon the per-
sonal leadership OF the Premier rather
than the putting into effect OF any party
platform.
Premier Lloyd George is in Paris and
he must stay there. No one expects him
TO leave the Peace Conference. He has
the double burden OF directing Great
Britain's destinies in foreign and Inn
perial affairs and in keeping hand on
the domestic policy. and at this time OF
real crisis no ono expects him to leave
the Peace Conference
Leaders of the Houses.
leadership in the two houses Of Par
lament. therefore. for the time being
will fall upon Earl Cnrzon and Andrew
Bonar Law. both Of whom are Conser-
vatives and before the war stood for
almost everything that was opposed to
Lloyd George and his present pro-
erAnlme. That gems to mean that Par
Lament will mark time until the Prime
Minister can return and take charge in
person.
Meanwhile the problems ~ domestic
reconstruct!on are not marking time and
refuse 10 wait even until the more
Urgent business Of world reconstruction
has been settled in Parts. Many people
predicted that there would be LABOR
troubles In the United Kingdom after
the war, but few IL any foresaw that
they would be thrust upon the country
30 quickly and so sharply
The working classes and the plain peo-
ple were told that after the war there
would be "a better life" for the masses
Apparently they expect and demand that
better hfe" sooner than tho Government
Is prepared to take in hand the business
OF const ructing the new era.
Many Explanations offered.
There are as many explanations FOR
the present industrial unrest rs there are
points OF view. Some say that the work
ingmen are uneasy and restless and that
the strikes are merely sort Of holiday
efyervesccnce and are not to be taken as
serious symptoms OF any labor policies.
Another aud extreme point OF view is
that the British people are infected by
the general world movement which Is
roughly described as Bolshevism, and
that the foundations OF society are
threatened.
Among other explanations arc that the
laborers have real grievances which they
endured patiently during the war and
that they have only waited until tho
ship of state was out of troubled waters
to press their own interests, and that
the laborers fear that their Jobs will be
endangered by the rehabilitation OF
hundreds Of thousands from the army
and are agitating for shorter hours with
the !iea that shorter hours VIII be the
only solution OF the need OF work for all.
The strikes in Belfast and Glasgow
have several new features IHstcdl VI
merely striking against their employers
and Confpng the battle TO the familiar
campaign OF men against masters the
stfikers are disrupting the nerve centres
of their communities. The strikes en-
tail not only the stoppage OF work In GER
tain industries, but are paralyzing the
everyday life of the cities.
Entire Communities suffer.
Transportation. lighting and power for
manufacturing are the vital arteries Of
normal living which the strikers and
their sympathizers are putting at
standstnl This makes entire commu-.
mites suffer on account of tho disputes
Of a faction Of their citizens and none
suffer more than the poor people and the
middle classes
Sympathies are divided rega riding the
merits Of these strikes. As usual, there
are some who say that the Belfast ship
building magnates are masters" of the
old time employing caste whose only
method is " take II or leave it, and who
might have averted trouble by a little
diplomacy and a spirit OF give and take.
Others contend that the workmen have
struck without giving reasonable notice
and with lack OF ability TO see two sides
OF any quarrel.
The government UP 10 llllS time nae
followed "A line OF non intervention, but
In the end the whole matter of Industrial
conditions will be involved in the legis-
lation for reconstruction. The responsl-
bility for carrying this out rests chiefly
upon the Prime Minister and there are
indications that he will not be slow to
srapple with IT, How successfully he
will meet the problem remains to be seen
There is a question also whether the Pre-
mier can command his party in the House
OF Commons which is personal party
as few before have been.
In the questions which the country Is
asking the only doubts are based on the
fact that a majority Of the members OF
that party are Conservatives. On his
last visit to Wales and plainly In reply
to these questionings, Mr., Lloyd George
said to a gathering Of his constituents: /:
Continued on Second Page.