The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1920-08-11
SLOWLY GETTING
BACK TO NORMAL
American Visitors Find Industrial
Conditions Steadily Ipmrov-
ing In England; High
Prices Everywhere

| London. financial and 10
dHstrial conditions are steadily i'm
proving 10 England. but are stlll .
very long way from being normal
Strikes are the hane Of progress herr
In these days. Demands for more pas
and shorter hours follow each otheI
| Ia quick succession fron tile various
branches ~ organized labor. The trou,
Bile iS that less efficiency seems 10 fol.
low the granting of each siemalrl. I'm
meiiately one of the big Industrial
companies settles With one section og
Its employees by increa sing wages.
| trouble starts In aaofher section Ot the
/ Workers till the change goes all
around. Then IL bs as again. Rail
way fares have been Increased 50 per
cent ia the last three years. Now
another 80 per cent Is 10 be added
10 meet the Increased cost of opera
tion. New rolling stock. however. has
been constructed aud service has been
improved considerably 10 the last year,
and in spite OF the high fares aud
| 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 50 crowd
ed that strangers who have not re-
served rooms frequently have 10 drive
about for hours seeking aeeommoda-
ton. Prices are high. especially for
Americans. whom part OF the popu-
larion seems 90 regard as travelling
banks, always ready 10 hand cut large
sums when called apDn The hotel
best known 70 Americans charges $40
4 day for a room without bath. and
New YoFkers staying there assert that
IL costs them S94 day for lodging.
nesls and tips.
Women smoke practically every
where since the war Seine OF the
more daring now have special brands
OF cigars imported from-Cuba for their
nse. and smoke them publicly In thea
gers and restaurants. In the streets
Englishmsn have become quite ae-
cusiomed TO having women ask them
for a light .
The emancipated Englishwoman has
snyaded the mems territory TO such
An extent that on the sulf links and
in hotels You sometimes fnd notices
have been posted which read This
smoking room Is reserved for gentle
men only"
One tobacconlst asserted recently
Tint women now purchase three times
as many cigarettes as men and some
are taking 10 pipes. Since the new tax
has come into force the quality OF
cigarette tobacco has deteriorated. as
has that Of cigars, except the very
aigh priced ones.
Most Heavily Taxed Nation.
English people are probably more
neavily taxed than any other nation In
the world al the present time. They
80 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 stiil goes on in many de-
partments Food j. very dear and
deere is stiu scarcity of butter and
sugar. Many people have become so
accustomed 10 going without the lat
ter during the war that they now dis
nenSe with il altogether, which Is well |
from the point of view Of economy, as I
sugar costs 30 cents a pound now and !
threatens to 90 higher. On June Is I
fh.. bakers were instructed not 10 4
make any more white bread, and II I
Il considered possible that bread cards I
Will again he issued before Christmas. I
the big supplies OF grain from Russia.
By the soviet government to
Lloyd George having proved to be
purely mythical.
The housing problem IN London,
and 10 fact in all the large cities In
Is very serious and the sug-
xestion that the authorities take over
all empty houses, as they did In some
towns during the war. is being agitat-
Cd.
Shoes. hats and wearing apparel
generally are very dear.
The Defense Of the Realm Act -
.alled Dora for SHORTS stiIl In force
N England. SO II IS impossible to buy
candy. cigars, tobacco, matches. books
and a great many other things after 8
D. 10.
Public houses lsaloOnsl are per-
nitted TO sell intoxicating liquors be-
tween Il and 2 80 p. ln-. and between
3 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
-stail liquor trade are making more
money than they ever did before on
account Of the high prices and the
hort drinking hours
Khaki uniforms have disappeared
nom the streets and maimed ex-sol-
Hers can no longer be seen on
.rutches. Most Of these have been
furnished with artificial arms and
egs and provided with jobs In gov
'rnment Offices and banks. The women
ave left their war Jobs on the motor
fuses and street cars. bur there are
till a few In the booking Offices OF
he rnflwavS England gradually In