MINISTER DEFEATED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10338, 27 February 1925, Page 8

MINISTER DEFEATED

LABOUR OBJECTION TO BILL-

CONSERVATIVE PARTY

(Per Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, February 26. In the House of Commons there were Labour cries of “ Resign !” on the defeat by 183 votes to 180 of a private Bill promoted by the County of London Electric Supply Company, which the Minister for Transport (LieutenantColonel Ashley) supported. Mr Barnes (Labour, East Ham) moved its rejection on the ground that it belonged to a group of Bills introduced for the purpose of forestalling a national scheme of electricity supply. A number of members, including Sir Laming Worthington-Evaus, Secretary of State for War, attacked the Bill. The defeat was entirely unexpected. The opposition developed strongly, and a number of Conservatives finally joined the Labour members in the division lobby. Sir Laming. Worthington-Evans argued that the Bill did not put the company under any obligation to generate or distribute electricity to anv local authority. It contained no obligation to fulfil a public duty. Viscount Elvedon (Conservative, Southend) opposed the measure on the ground that it would establish a monopoly for all time without a definition of profits. The Labour newspaper, the “ Daily Herald,” comments: “The seemingly impossible has happened. Capitalism has suffered a defeat in a predominantly capitalist Parliament.” The Conservative papers attribute the defeat of th§ Bill to a statement made during the debate that the company was not on the King’s roll of those giving preference to ex-Service men, to which a reply was made that the company would enrol. It is affirmed by a number of Conservative members that they would oppose any Bill brought forward in similar circumstances.