The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-08-14
American Visitors Find Industrial
Conditions Steadily Improv-
ing in England.
HIGH PRICES EVERYWHERE
But Taxes Are Higher, Too, Than
Elsewhere In the WorId-Lond0n
Hotels Are croWded--How II
Looks to Visitors.

piVNlhS III Lhsluuui Dul ulc sun
very long way from being normal.
Strikes are the bane Of progress here
In these days. Demands for more pay
and shorter hours follow each other
In quick succession from the various
branches Of organized labor. The trou-
BILE Is that less efficiency seems to fol-
low the granting Of each demand. I'm
medlately one Of the big industrial
companies settles with one section Of
It's employees by increasing wages,
trouble starts In another section Of the
workers till the change goes all
around. Then II begins again. Rail-
way fares have been increased 80 per
cent In the last three years. Now
another 80 per cent is to be added
to meet the increased cost of opera
ton. New rolling stock, however, has
been constructed and service has been
improved considerably In the last year
and in spite of the high fares and
dropping Of excursion rates the trains
are packed in every direction.
Hotels Are Crowded.
London still has an extra million
population which drifted there during
the war, and the hotels are so crowd
ed that strangers who have not re.
served rooms frequently have to drive
about for hours seeking accommoda-
ton. Prices are high, especially for
Americans, whom a part of the popu-
ation seems to regard as travelling
banks, always ready to hand out large
sums when called upon. The hotel
best known TO Americans charges $40
a day for a room without bath, and
New Workers staying there assert that
1t costs them S24 day for lodging,
meals and tips.
Women smoke practically every
where since the war. Some of the
more daring now have special brands
Of cigars imported from Cuba for their
use, and smoke them publicly in thea
tiers and restaurants. In the streets
Englishmen have become quite ac-
customed TO having women ask them
for q light
The emancipated EnglIshwoman has
invaded the mems territory TO such
an extent that ON the golf links and
In hotels you sometimes find notices
have been posted which read This
smoking room Is reserved for gentle
men only"
One tobacconist asserted recently
that women now purchase three times
RS many cigarettes as men and some
are taking to pipes. Since the new tax
has come 4uto force the quality of
cigarette tobacco has deterlorated, as
has that of cigars, except the very
high priced ones.
Most Heavily Taxed Nation.
English people are probably more
heavily taxed than any other nation in
the world at the present time. They
do not complain of this, but protests
are heard against arbitrary methods
adopted by the government In dealing
with excess profits and against the
waste which still goes on in many de-
partments. Food is very dear and
there is still a scarcity of butter and
sugar. Many people have become so
accustomed TO going without the lat
ter during the war that they now dis
pense with 1t altogether, which is well
from the point of view of economy, as
sugar costs 30 cents a pound now and
threatens to go higher. On June ID
the bakers were instructed not to
make any more white bread, and II
is considered possible that bread cards
will again be issued before Christmas,
the big supplies of grain from Russia,
promised by the soviet government to
Lloyd George having proved to be
purely mythical.
The housing problem In London,
and In fact in all the large cities in
England, is very serious apd the sug-
gestion that the authorities take over
all empty houses, as they did In some
towns during the war; Is being agltat-
| ed.
Shoes hats and wearing apparel
generally are very dear.
The Defense of the Realm Act 49,
| called Dora for SHORTS still In force
in England, so 1t is impossible to buy
candy, cigars. tobacco, matches, books
and a great many Other things after 8
| p. m
Public houses (saoons) are per-
mitted to sell intoxicating liquors be-
tween II and 2 80 p. m, and between
| G and 10 p. m, which Is two hours
after the closing time for selling
chocolate. These hours are strictly
observed, yet those engaged In the
retail liquor trade are making more
money than they ever did before on
account of the high prices and the
short drinking hours.
Khaki uniforms have disappeared
from the streets and manned ex-sol-
diers can no. longer be seen on
crutcheS. Most of these have been
furnished with artificial arms and
legs and provided with Jobs in gov
eminent offices and banks. The women
have left their war Jobs on the motor
buses and street cars, but there are
still a few IN the booking offices Of
the railways. England gradually Is