LAND REFORM

Grey River Argus, 24 April 1931, Page 5

LAND REFORM

BRITISH FIGHT ON Government Versus Peers (Aus, & N.Z. Cable Assn.) (Received April 23 at 7.45 p.m.) LONDON, April 23. When informed of the House of Lords’ action in rejectjng, by a large majority, the two first clauses in the Government’s Agricultural Land Utilisation Bill, providing for the establishment of a corporation experiment in large scale farming, etc.. Mr Ramsay MacDonald said: ‘‘We shall fight to the finish with the gloves off!” The “Daily Herald” lobbyist says: “If the Billi« mutilated beyond recognition, the Government will reintroduce the measure under the Parliamentary Act The House of Lords have already rejected the School Age Raising Bill. In all probability it will ialso mangle the Electoral Bill. Thus a formidable indictment is being built

Conservative circles are of the opinion that the Government policy is to work up a case against the House of Lords, believing that it will be a good election cry, and that the Government is forwarding much legislation that the House of Lords is most likely to rej ect on the ground that they had been given n o mandate for Socialism. Lord Banbury, who has given notice of a motion to reject twenty clauses of the Land Bi-1, moved the rejection of Clause Three, stating it was an insidious attempt at land nationalisation.

Lord de la Warr, on behalf of the Government, said that the rejection of the Clau e would mean that the House of Lords would be defending the grossest cases of neglect of the land.

After Lord Hailsham appealed to the House not to reject the Clause, as it ha ( ] been amended, the Clause was agreed to by 75 votes to 17. The House of Lords sat on the Bill ti l midnight, which is a very rare happening.