The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-09-19

are slightly improved Gust slight
ly-for in general they do not
have machinery such as that used
in American coal mines); and
they have a five day week. But
there are frequent wildcat
strikes" and work stoppages-
condemned by the unions and the
government alike. The latter is
threateing to prosecute.
! One reason for the low produc-
! ton seems to be in the food sit
uation. AS one Briton put it:
II used to have lot of drive;
up early in the morning, work
hard all day. l know that my ra-
tons are not enough-for before
the morning is over I'm all tir-
ed out. Although the miners get
a larger ration, they too, don't
get enough. Coal mining is hard
work-it takes food"
A sign outside the entrance to
the Hotel Russell dining room
reads: Don't ask for bread un-
less you need it." But the hotels
and their dining rooms are occu-
pied largely by travellers, British
and foreign-serve meat with ev-
cry meal.
Housing is equally bad. Some
dwellings have been erected but
are unoccupied for months for
lack of plaster and wall board
. "fitments" as the British call
them. "Prefabs" have sprung up
all over England but these are
merely temporary until better
homes are available.
I'm a bit worried" one Bri-
fisher told me, "the prefabs put
! up in 1s17-18, after the First
World War, have been occupied
ever since. rather think these
new ones will be, for a long time
to come"
The big. complaint against the
Labor government is principally
that they have tried to impose
, their socialistic program too soon.
1T would have been better" you
hear people say, mot to have at
tempted that now. We need to
get back on our feet first. The
program is good one, in the long
run, but now is not the time"
A number also expresses the
fear that the change from the
Churchill government to the La
Dor Party may have injured Bri-
fish relations with America. They
are frankly worried that it has.
There is an earnest desire for
friendship cooperation genuine
friendship as well as political and
economic-and deep fear that
something may happen to mar it.
That something might be what
many people to whom l have
talked consider the extravaganza
of the Labor government. For ex-
ample, estates have been pur-
chased for regional Offices" at
several hundred thousand dollars
each, when existing facilities
used during the war might have
been, occupied until the present
crisis is past. I
The future for Britain-as seen
by the average Britisher - IS
gloomy indeed They-like We
are tired of slogans, tired of
shortages, tired 'of queuing up"
in breadlines and meatlines and
for trans and cinemaS and what
not. For escape they are jamming
the theatres and movie houses
night after night, travelling to
Scotland and Ireland when they
can.
They are very old people. The
sooted buildings which surround
them have looked down upon
hundreds of generations who have
gone before. The symbols of Brit
aims mighty days are all about
them-the political leaders, the
great generals and admiralS, writ
ers and clergymen look down
from heroic statues and in many
an ancient painting. But these
people look forward and up
ward, stolidly but with a kind of
gallantry, too.
The tall Nelson monument with
the grim lions at its base on Ira
falgar Square is a powerful piece
of sculpture. 1t is very simple,
but strong in its design.
1t tells youths monument of
Strength-that somehow, no mat
ter what the worst may be, Brit
ain will come through.
have yet to meet Briton who
isn't absolutely confident that she
will-regardleSs of what the fu-
ture holds.
NJ ~