§ 14. Mr. RENDALLasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the fact that during the last six months the military authorities have commandeered the whole of the 547 clubs in Basingstoke, namely, the Mechanics' Institute, the Liberal club, and the Conservative club; whether, having regard to the many hundreds of men engaged in manufacturing munitions of war in that town, he will explain why industrial workers working long hours should be deprived of places of recreation except licensed premises; and whether the same course has been pursued in other towns where soldiers are billeted?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe clubs mentioned were assigned for the use of the troops by the police authorities of Basingstoke when billets were asked for. I am informed that if complaint had been made earlier, it would have been possible to have moved the troops away to some other locality. The objections to the use of the clubs now raised are, however, stated to proceed from a few individuals only, and a removal of the troops, besides involving the expenditure of time and money, would apparently not be welcome to the inhabitants generally. Clubs have been similarly used elsewhere. Billets are, of course, paid for.