Criticise Plan To Let Living Costs Rise

Northern Advocate, 28 April 1944, Page 3

Criticise Plan To Let Living Costs Rise

(8.C.W.) RUGBY, April 20 Both support for and criticism of the Budget were expressed when the debate was continued in the House of Commons today.

Mr Pethiek Lawrence (Lab.) criticised the Chancellor's proposal to allow the cost of living to rise slightly to counteract the rise in wages. If the cost of living was allowed to chase wages, it might well have an inflationary effect.

Sir John Wardlavv Milne (Con.) pointed out that borrowings for war purposes would place a heavy burden on the taxpayer and said he hoped the consideration of this fact would slop the silly cry that if money could be found for war, it could be found for peace. The nation would not afford £ 15,000,000 a day for war at all. They were merely running into debt. Encourage Enterprise

He stressed the need for encouragement of every kind of enterprise and new ideas and initiative after the war so that they could get back to normal as rapidly as possible. Mr Robert Boothby (Con.) said that the picture painted by the Chancellor was a little too sombi’e. He personally was all for caution, but considered that there were grounds for great hope. He suggested that the internal production of foodstuffs could be further increased and that certain controls should be retained after the war.

The Financial Secretary for the Treasury (Mr Ralph Assheton) said that Britain had now virtually completed a long-drawn-out process of mobilising her economic resources so as to make possible a most intense and, if necessary, a most sustained wai effort and the stage had been reached where it was legitimate and proper to make preparations for the financial problems of the future. The dec,he was adjourned.