BRITISH POLITICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 18

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE PROFITEERING BILL. jßy Cable.) LONDON, August 11. Sir Auckland Geddes, in introducing the Profiteering Bill in the House of Commons, said the reduction of inflated 'prices was necessary economically in order to reduce the imports and encourage exports; also socially, because* profiteering was a serious source of popular unrest. Many members opposed the Bill on the ground that it did not reach the real profiteers ,but only the retailers, and would unsettle trade by causing unnecessary alarm. The rejection of the Bill was moved. Mr M'Curdy (Parliamentary Secretary) replied that the Bill represented only part of a wide plan to control the movements of prices. The latter would require prolonged inquiry, and the establishment of local tribunals meanwhile to enable facts to be ascertained. The- present Bill did not deal with the operations of big business interests, but it provided machinery which could easily be enlarged. Mr Thomas said the opinion of the Labour Party was that the Bill did not dotil -with the right people. The real causes of profiteering were trusts and combines. The Labour Party would support the second reading, but would amend the Bill in committee. Sir R. S- Home (Minister of Labour), replying, pointed out that the Bill gave the Board of Trade power to make investigations, without which combines could not be broken or prices regulated. The Bill would also render a great service in making people understand that in many cases high prices were due to shortage of output, and that increased production was the best hope of decreasing cost. A closure motion was carried by 251 votes to 8, ai!9 the Bill was referred to a committee of the whole House. The House of Commons read a second tune the Profiteering Bill by 251 votes to August 13. After replying to complaints in the House of Commons that the Profiteering Bill did not touch wholesale merchants and speculators, Sir Auckland Geddes accepted an amendment empowering the Board«gof Trade to investigate prices at all stages. Sir A. Geddes also accepted the principle of a further amendment enabling the Board of Trade, without waiting for a complaint, to declare a price which would yield a reasonable profit or to fix maximum wholesale and retail prices. August 14. In the House of Commons, during the profiteering debate, Lord Robert Cecnsaid he was sure Sir Auckland Geddes ac-' cepted the principle contained in the amendment, and by inadvertence it would revolutionise the whole trade of the country and place it under absolutely autocratic local committees. Sir D. Mac Lean declared that the amendment was rank Socialism, but a muddled Socialism, which no one understood. Sir Auckland Geddes, replying, said'that if scientific examination showed that there was any reason to believe that national or international combinations existed under which the community was in danger of being bled white, the Board of Trade would have power to fix. prices. PoAver would not be delegated to a tribunal which would continue for only six months. Sir Cordon Hewart (Attorney-general) assured the House that it was only proposed to give this power to the central authority. Sir G. Hewart's assurance satisfied some members, but, after further strong speeches, Mr Bonar Law said the alarm was not justified.' There was no intention to fix maximum prices generally, which would result only in supplies disappearing. The Government would willingly leave the matter to the free decision of the House. The amendment was • withdrawn in favour of Sir G. Hewart's proposition, with the promise of a further clause limiting the Board of Trade's power to fix prices. This was carried by 135 votes to 95. The Profiteering Bill has been read a third time before the House of Commons. EXTRAVAGANT EXPENDITURE. LONDON, August 12. In the House of Commons, during the debate on the Air Force vote, Major-gene-ral Seely (Air Minister), replying to charges of extravagance, said the vote of £66,000,000 included a large sum for the completion of war contracts. He had contracted under the armistice for the production of 50,000 aeroplanes annually. The Air Force had been reduced from 30,000 officers to 10,000, and from 264,000 other employees to 63,000. In the House of Commons Major-general Seely, replying to questions regarding the Air Force disclosures cabled, said every possible step would be taken to bring to justice any guilty and corrupt practices regarding contracts. August 13. In the House of Commons the Lord Advocate dealt with recent allegations in connection with alleged irregularities in regard to aerodrome contracts. He said the Public Accounts Committee report made it appear that from £50,000 to £60,000 were involved. The actual amount was £286,000. He condemned the lack of administrative supervision, and said the confusion of accounts left no prospects of a successful criminal prosecution against anyone. Mr Churchill, speaking on general expenditure, said it had been arranged that the British forces on the Rhine by the end of September should be reduced to one strong brigade and the Air Force to a squadron. There were still over 100,000 German and Turkish war prisoners, need-

ing 100,000 (?) troops to guard them. Permission had been given to repatriate the Turks, but the Supreme Council had not yet authorised the repatriation of the Germans. The maintenance of 100,000 troops, of whom 20,000 were British, in Mesopotamia, was the principal mainspring of profligate expenditure. Inquiries were proceeding with a view to reducing thia force, as well as those in Egypt and Palestine. There were 60,000 troops in Ireland, as compared with 30.000 before the' war. The Irish Executive was most strongly opposed to any reduction at present. He had to maintain 100,000 men in France for salvage work, otherwise they would have to leave valuable assets rotting on the ground. There were still many thousands of seriously wounded in the hospitals. It was clear that the only means of reducing expenditure was to bring home the men at the earliest opportunity and re-establish private industries.. Mr Churchill re-emphasised that the urgent problem was to reduce the cost of national government, even if it involved the abandonment of many cherished schemes. He estimated that the cost of reproducing the pre-war army, owing to increased pay and allowances, would be fjjom £65,000,000 to £75,000,000, compared with £29,000,000 formerly. He had instructed General Trenchard to provisionally frame a scheme limiting to £25,000,000 the Air Force expenditure. WELSH CHURCH BILL. LONDON, August 13. The House of Commons carried the third reading of the Welsh Church Bill. REFRIGERATE© STEAMERS FOR NEW ZEALAND. LONDON, August 14. Replying to a question in the House of Commons Mr W. C. Bridgeman stated that refrigerated steamers regularly exrir ployed in the Australian and New Zealand trade which were diverted in 1918 had now returned. Two additional steamers had been sent to relieve the congestion. Mr Lloyd George on Monday will make a statement in the House of Commons on the future trade policy and the position of the country. The House will adjourn on Tuesday. In the House of Commons Mr E. Shortt stated that Miss _ Sylvia Pankhurst admitted having received £2BO from Zachariassen for the support of an extremist newspaper edited by her. A RECORD IN LEGISLATION. LONDON, August 17. A six and a-half months' session of Parliament has achieved a record output of legislation. It is . noteworthy that the closure was seldom used, and time-wasting devices and party warfare were reducea to a minimum; moreover, a great saving of time was due to the use of no standing committees. The tendency of the Government to monopolise the time of the House was a less desirable feature. Oul of 126 Bills introduced in the House of Commons 35 were due to private members, only three of which were passed into law. The Government passed 23 Bills of first-class importance. Others, including the Government of India Bill, will be considered in the autumn. NEED FOR ECONOMY. LONDON, August 17.. It is believed that Mr Lloyd George, in in his speech in the Commons on Monday, will inaugurate a vigorous campaign for national economy, including the replacement of the Ministerial heads of the great spending .departments by men with financial experience able to carry out drastic reductions. The Government, with a view to economy, has ordered the suspension of the construction of six airships, involving contracts of £2,200,000. The newspapers are continuing to urge the necessity for rigorous retrenchment to save the country from disaster.

RUMOURS OF RESIGNATION. LONDON, August 18. # It is stated that the Prime Minister intends shortly to resign, owing to the Government not consulting the Food Controller in connection with the Profiteering Bill handing over; price-fixing to the Board of Trade. It is reported that Mr Roberts contemplates resigning from the Pood Ministry. He resents Sir Auckland Geddes's intervention in profiteering. F. M. B. FISHER. The Unionists have selected Mr F. M. B. Fisher, the ex-New Zealand Minister of Customs and Marine, as a candidate for the Widnes (Lancashire) by-election, due to Colonel Walker's elevatiop. to the peerage.