George had begun
to "do it" and in a big way.
Likewise the whole country was beginning to feel pride in his
performance as the following story, which has been adapted to various
other celebrities, will attest:
Lloyd George sat one day in the compartment of a train that was held up
at the station at Cardiff. A porter carrying a traveller's luggage
noticed him and called his client's attention, saying:
"There is Lloyd George himself in that train."
The traveller seemed indifferent and again the porter called attention
to the budding great man. After persistent efforts to rouse his
interest, the tourist, much nettled, said tartly:
"Suppose it is. He's not God Almighty."
"Ah," replied the porter, "remember he's young yet."
When Lloyd George became Chancellor of the Exchequer under Asquith no
one was surprised. It is typical of the man that he should have leaped
from the lowest to the highest place but one in the Cabinet.
As Chancellor he had at last the opportunity to fulfill his democratic
destiny. Whatever Lloyd George may be, one thing is certain: he is
essentially a man of the masses. With his famous People's Budget he
legislated sympathy into the law. It meant the whole kindling social
programme of Old Age pensions, Health and Unemployment insurance,
increased income tax and an enlarged death duty. As most people know, it
put much of the burden of English taxation on the pocketbooks of the
people who could best afford to pay.
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