LABOUR IN POWER

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 20, 24 January 1924, Page 9

LABOUR IN POWER

LORD INCHCAPE'S POLITICS,

Politics were lightly referred 'to by Lord Inchcape in his address to shareholders in' the P. and 0. Company in London last month. He said the Leader of the Labour Party had proposed, whenever he got into power, to nationalise many of our private enterprises. "If he is as successful as all Governments have hitherto been in their attempts at commerce, I shall be- sorry for the taxpayers," said the chairman of the P. and 0. Company, and he added: "I may say at once, I do not share the apprehensions with which' many people regard the •possible advent of the Labour Party to power. If they ever form the Government they will be entitled to consideration and fair play. I/do not agree with their programme, but--no section of the community has more interest in the welfare and stability of the country and its institutions than the great body of weekly wageearners. . *

"Any blow to trade, anything that weakens British credit, checks private enterprise, or' hinders the adventurous use of capital [for the production of more wealth, would have instant and terrible reactions upon the workers, because it would menace their very live lihood. I think we can trust the com-mon-sense of the Labour leaders to re cognise this, to keep their wild men in order, and not1 to play the. wrecking game. I have a great faith in the sobering effect of responsibility. I was in considerable anxiety lately, though never without hope, regarding the safety of the most valuable ship we have in the fleet. She got caught without the slightest warning in a terrible typhoon. Fortunately, she was in charge of a veteran skipper, Asquith, who funnily enough, had with him a chief officer named George, who also possesses an extra masters certificate. Both these men had an intimate knowledge of the law of storms. The ship was well found, as all the P. and 0.. ships are, and she emerged from the tempest without having damaged a rope yarn,'although I regret to say one or two of the crew are missing. We have reason, however, to believe that they will yet turn up. The vessel's name does not appear in the list of the company's ships, but it-is written large in the annals of the P. and 0. Her name is 'Free Trade.'

'I believe that a frse interchange of commodities with the whole world is the sheet anchor of this country. There is no doubt now that the ground tackle will hold on for many a long day. I should imagine that any political leader who agam raised the issue of Protection in Great Britain would be taken charge of by his faithful followers and; firmly locked up. I hope now we shall-all forget about Preference and Tariff Reform, and that those of us who want to maintain the Constitution and the Monarchy will work together in unison, frieudlijisss, and godliriMfc"