Greymouth Evening Star. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1948. The House Of Lords

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 February 1948, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1948. The House Of Lords

AN important point about the opposition to the British Government’s Bill to limit further the powers of the House ot Lords is that The hostility is not io reform. hut to the Socialist manoeuvring which has inspired the measure, lhe Conservatives for a generation have been, anxious to construct a better Second Chamber, though completely opposed to those who want Single Chamber Government. The House of Lords contains many members who rarely or never attend It may well be that membership should not depend so largely, if at all, upon inherited position. But the House also contains the embryo of an improved composition men who have attained eminence by their own talents in many walks of life. At the present. time its active membership laige y includes experts in law, defence, industrial and trades union affairs, Empire, and the professions. ’ On the British Governments own admission, the House of Lords has admirably fulfilled the function of revising and improving legislation. For instance, the Leader of the House of Commons, Mr Herbert Morrison, recently chided one of the back-bench critics from the ranks of his own Socialist Party, who had advocated the abolition of the Lords altogether. Mr Morrison confessed that experience had taught him to disown a similar prejudice against, a Second Chamber. He admitted the need for revision of measures rushed through the House of Commons without sufficient consideration. . , It is to be noted that the Socialist .Government’s Bill is inspired by a principle directly contrary to that of its predecessor in 1911. Then the purpose was to ensure that the will of the people, expressed at two successive elections, should prevail. Today the purpose is to ensure the omnipotence of a clique which is acting obviously against the will of the people and the national interests. The British Socialists have, m effect, set out to change the Constitution in order to secure passage for one dubious measure. The Parliament Bill, it is now openly admitted, is designed to force through Parliament before the present Government s statutory term expires a further instalment of nationalisation —notably that of . the iron and steel industry—for which Ministers have no mandate and experience gives no warrant. Britain is in the midst of a, dangerous and still deepening economic crisis. The opponents of further nationalisation argue with cogency that this is no time for experimental measures or for moves that are likely to result in disrupting the basic industries of the country. This is a time, they rightly hold, for devoting every ounce of available energy to the .task of increasing production. The magnitude of the effort required in this connection was recently described m graphic terms by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Stafford Cripps. In these circumstances, the Government’s political manoeuvring with the House of Lords can only be regarded as completely irrelevant to the needs of the nation.