LORDS AND COMMONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 96, 24 April 1931, Page 8

LORDS AND COMMONS.

The rejection of certain essential clauses of the Agricultural Land Utilisation Bill by the House of Lords has apparently brought the Upper House once more into direct conflict with the representatives of the people. The Eill in question, according to Mr. Mac Donald, provides for "a co-operative experiment in large scale farming," which would presumably help to strengthen British agriculture on what h admittedly its weakest side. But the great majority of the Peers see in this scheme for "land utilisation" a covert attempt at foisting "land nationalisation" upon the country, and they have declared war against the Bill accordingly. In all probability there is no real ground for the alarm displayed by Lord Banbury and other ''fine old crusted Tories" in the. Upper House. But far more important than the fate of this particular Bill is the probability of a renewal of tlie struggle between Lords and Commons which culminated twenty years ago in the Parliament Act, The "Daily Herald" has jilready referred in ominous terms to this Act as providing the means for coercing the Upper House into submission, and it. is a very serious question whether the Lords have done wisely to provide the "left wingers" of the Labour Party with another weapon to use against them. During the present session the Lords have rejected the School Age Bill, they threatened to "mangle" the Electoral Reform Bill, and they are expected to send back the Bill now submitted to them "mutilated beyond recognition." Under the circumstances, we can hardly be surprised if the Labour Government ncccpts the obstructive attitude adopted by the Lords as a deliberate challenge, and Mr. Mac Donald's threatened "fight to a finish with the gloves oft"' completes the work of the Parliament Act by practically blotting the Upper House out o£ tho Constitution.