Nov. 20.
"Tae Chancellor was loudly cheered on resuming his seat. All the necessary resolutions were passed.'" Such' is Reuter's brief and significant account of the reception given by the House of Commions to a speech proposing a further war loan of 350 millions, a doubled income tax, threepence per pound on tea and a penny a pint on beer, with the promise that the Government would devise other means of raising substantial sums by taxation. Nothing could demonstrate more clearly the temper of the country towards the war. There is no need to analyse the figures supplied to perceive that war taxation means retrenchment all round'on the daily standard of! living of rich and poor alike. To some extent the want of employment consequent upon _reduced trade will be neutralized by the withdrawal of men for the army. Moreover, as Mr. Floyd George pointed out, British manufacturers enjoy special opportunities in neutral markets by the shutting off of German and Austrian trade, from which they ought to profit more and as time goes on. Therefore we may hope, with some degree of confidence that there need be no more fear of absolute want than there is, unfortunately, for some persons in normal times. But it is clear that anything like luxuries will have to be cut out. The Empire is prepared for harder sacrifices than this, for the cause of liberty and an enduring peace.
Although we have but a summary of Mr. Lloyd George's speech two features in it stand out clearly. Its proposals are eminently fair-minded, as witness the humorous reference to: "the elusive teetotaler''—a gentle man who might, at ordinary times, be disposed to think bim-self entitled to special consideration by the State—and the concessions to be made to retailers and brewers, who have certainly
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.