As for the checking of war profits, Mr. Lloyd George
declared that the Government had taken control of practically all the engineering works in the country, and were appropriating their war profits for the benefit of the State. Thus the pledge given by the Government at the Treasury Conference with the Trade Union representatives had been completely redeemed. Turning to the reciprocal conduct of the work- men, he said that in "far too many" eases impediments were being placed in the way of increased production. He cited case after case. Most of them concerned the refusal of skilled men to work with or superintend the work of unskilled labourers. Yet this was a war of material—a war of British Trade Unionists against German Trade Unionists. Inadequate material meant defeat. Eighty thousand more skilled workers were wanted and two hundred thousand more unskilled. Only fifteen per cent. of the munition factories were working at night. If the attitude of Woolwich were persisted in, the Government might just as well abandon their programme— the programme which was essential to victory.
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