British Socialists ‘Drag Out An Old Red Herring’

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 October 1947, Page 8

British Socialists ‘Drag Out An Old Red Herring’

LONDON, October 23. “The Archbishop of Canterbury’s appeal to the Government to drop its proposals for curtailing the powers of the House of Lords stirred the entire Chamber,” says the Parliamentary correspondent of the Daily Tele-, graph.

The Archbishop, who intervened unexpectedly towards the end of the second day of the debate on the Speech from the Throne, besought the Government not to destroy national unity in the present crisis by- starting “a political dogfight” over such a question. “I don’t know and I don t care about the merits of the proposal but it is arguable, it has begun to be argued, and the argument will go on with increasing heat,” he said. To raise the matter now, the Archbishop added, was a major mistake, and he bpgged the Government, as it asked or sacrifices from the people, to make a sacrifice itself by doing nothing further at present.

The British press almost unanimously ' criticises the Government’s intention to limit the powers of the House of Lords. The Manchester Guardian describes the measure as “this, old red' herring of the wicked Lords; an issue as dead as the Lloyd George Budget or Home Rule.” The News Chronicle says: “By this brawling with phantoms the Government may find they have arraigned themselves before the bar of public opinion.” - The' Daily Mirror says: “The people are bound to think this move has been taken to cover something'

up, and they will not be far wrong if they decide that the mishandling of the steel question is the ulterior motive.” ■ The Communist Daily Worker describes .the- measure as “a damp squib.”

Overseas Mails Surface mails for the United Kingdom, Eire and the continent of Europe will close at Greymouth on Tuesday next at 5.30 p.m. for letters only and on the following Thursday, October 30, at the same time for parcels.