CURRENT LONDON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 2 June 1934, Page 14 (Supplement)

CURRENT LONDON TOPICS

“STANDING ROOM ONLY” PRESENTATION OF THE BUDGET. BUSINESSLIKE PRONOUNCEMENT. 1 (From Our Own Correspondent). London, April 19. There was the usual “standing room only” air about the House of Commons when Mr. Chamberlain got up to tell us all about his Budget. Floor and galleries were, as they say in West End green rooms, “filled to capacity.” Mr. Lloyd George and Megan, were there, the former looking more than ever like an Arch Druid. Almost, nextdoor neighbours below the gangway opposite the Chancellor sat Mr. Churchill and Mr. Maxton—a striking contrast in physiognomy and hirsute adornment. The peers were in full force, and the distinguished strangers sat like bus passengers in the rush hour. A platoon of M.P.’s were metaphorically straphanging at the bar of the House of Commons—not the one in the lobby which annoys Lady Astor. That lady, by the way, was in her reserved corner seat, and her nattiest attire. “Mr. Chamberlain was dressed as for a garden party, and, viewed from the back, looked startlingly like his famous father. > No Fireworks.

The Budget speech was eminently businesslike, but almost intolerably dull. Mr. Chamberlain's one flash of relieving humour had a real Dickensian touch. “This,” he told us, “is my best Budget. Good-bye to Bleak House; enter Great Expectations.” The total estimated expenditure for the current year is just under seven hundred millions, and there was a gasp of disappointment when Mr. Chamberlain said his much-boomed surplus amounted to- no more than twentynine millions. He is disposing of that precisely as forecast in this column over two months ago. Unemployment cuts are to be fully restored as from July, service cuts will be half restored, and sixpence will come off income tax. Prolonged cheers greeted the news- about the restored dole payments, and there were Socialist jeers at the income tax announcement. Budget day always reminds me of a State funeral —with the taxpaying corpse absent and no flowers by request.

Up Against It America affords the philosophic onlooker a queer object lesson in practical democracy. President Hoover has taken a bravely ambitious outlook, and adopted drastic steps to save U.S.A, from the economic abyss. But coming elections cast their sinister shadow before, and representatives of American democracy, instead of doing their utmost to help a strong man struggling in adversity, are assiduously playing -to the cheapest democratic gallery. Powerful money interests of which America has no monopoly are stirring up all the trouble possible. It is more and more, doubtful whether President Roosevelt can carry through his plans. Regardless of an unbalanced Budget, senators eager for votes have passed, over the President’s head, huge bonuses for war veterans and State employees. Somebody will have to save democracy from the democrats. Drought Bill Hustle.

The Drought Bill, the text of which has now been published, is a much more voluminous work of legislation than was expected when its sudden introduction was announced by the Prime Minister as an emergency measure. It shows, at least, that the Government has foreseen the emergency for some time, and has prepared in secret a Bill of all complicated clauses and two pages of schedule. This could not have been drafted at a moment’s notice, and the work must have been carried on amid a privacy that is quite unusual in Whitehall, these days. As emergency legislation, it will doubtless be hustled through Parliament with that minimum of discussion that has characterised so much of the National Government’s most important work. Nevertheless, like the British Petroleum Bill, which is to be debated in the House of Lords shortly, it makes drastic modifications in existing rights of ownership of land. In face of the calamity of a real shortage of water, no one is likely to demur; but the Socialists will welcome the powers which are being given to public authorities as a helpful step towards the nationalisation policy that they envisage. The Bill deals mainly with the supply of water, but it will also make possible the most stringent compulsory restrictions upon its use. Traffic Bill.

I have seldom known a Bill which excited so little opposition, and at the same time so much anxiety to speak about it, as Major Stanley’s Road Traffic Bill. Its subject is particularly appropriate to the “man in the street,” and every M.P. has roads in his constituency which present difficulties to their own. But for the general desire to see the measure become law as soon as possible, the House of Commons debate might have occupied days. The success of the scheme will depend largely on the effectiveness of the driving tests, and on the manner in which the courts use their powers. A magistrate whom I met recently told me he would like to impose severer penalties, but is restrained from doing so by the fact that his colleagues take a more lenient view of offences which come become them. He felt that - the power of suspension is not used as much as it should be.

Parliamentary Vignettes. I hear that for the leading roles in the forthcoming pageant of Parliament at the Albert Hall professional performers have been enlisted. This may improve the spectacle, but it must, I fancy, detract from the human interest. The public would have liked to see real M.P.’s understudying their historic ancestors. Among the vignettes to be staged, I am told, are such episodes as Good Queen Bess “admonishing” her Ministers, Charles I seeking the five members, Cromwell’s gesture to the “bauble,” and William Pitt’s famous declaration: “England has saved herself by her endeavour, and will save others by her example.” These are all episodes capable of impressive presentation, but they by no means exhaust the gamut of theatrical possibility. What about Mr. Asquith’s “We shall not sheathe the sword” speech ? Or is that too “modern ?” Soldier Who Knows. After fourteen years aS Marshall of the Diplomatic Corps, General Sir John Hanbur-Williams is retiring. His going will be deplored by all the foreign Ambassadors and their staffs, for Sir John has handled all the questions arising as to precedent at Court functions, which might be ticklish points to settle,- with consummate tact and aplomb. He is an old Wellingtonian, and joined the old 43rd. Light Infantry 56 years ago. He had a horse shot under him at Tei-el-Kebir, was A.D.C. to various generals, served in South Africa, and was chief of British Military Mission to the Russian Army in 1914-17. He wears a long array of Orders and Ribbons, has written “The Emperor Nicholas II As I Knew Him,” hunts and shoots, and is a member of the Travellers and the Marlborough- His address, as Marshal, was Henry Third Tower, Windsor Castle.

The Englishman’s Castle. The Sedition Bill will give the police power to enter by force and search premises if there is reasonable ground for belief that they contain subversive literature. The measure is mainly for the purpose of providing better facilities than at present exist for preventing attempts to spread seditious disaffection among our armed forces. At present the law on this matter is somewhat anomalous, for whilst it is an offence to distribute seditious literature to soldiers, sailors or airmen, there is no offence m being in possession of such literature for this purpose. In so far as the Bill will help to put a stop to such revolutionary practises, it will be welcomed by Constitution-loving people. . Nevertheless, the fact remains that it is the fourth Bill which the Government has produced within as many weeks which does something to make the Englishman s home a little bit less his castle. Entry by force and search on suspicion is a drastic power for the police to possess, and all that can be said for it in this case is that it is in a more commendable cause than were the other two measures which appear to infringe upon our inherited liberties—the . Petroleum and Drought Bills, both of which, in given circumstances, give the State. or local authorities the, right of. taking, over landed property. . . A Builder of London.

Sir James Carmichael, whose death is announced, came from Scotland about 50 years ago, with little- capital except his skill as a builder. His name was familiar on the hoardings round some of the biggest new structures, and his personality came ■ into prominence- during the war, when he assisted the Munitions Department in providing the factories which were needed in a hurry,, and the Government generally by . keeping a check on the price of materials, and later as Director of Housing for England and Wales. He took no part in public affairs, for the many great contracts his firm always had in hand absorbed the whole of his time and. attention. Mr. Lloyd George was his friend, and admired his shrewd, rapid and "almost infallible judgment. Germany’s Position.

Both financiers and politicians are watching events. in. Germany with suspicious interest. They want to know how the increased expenditure on armaments, ominous from the military point of view,, and the' statistics of improving trade, can be reconciled with the plea of inability to pay. interest on her loam. lam told that a good deal-of the trade improvement is on the surface, and that the Jewish boycott has crippled financial power. Indeed, a well-known city man predicted to me the other night that the power of the Jews in international finance and commerce will compel the drastic change in Nazi policy within the next two years. The influence is being used in silence, but it is ■ none the less potent. ‘ . Education and Countryside.

The sutvey just issued by the Board of Education brings to light some i n t e J" esting, facts. “The drift from the land is much smaller than is often stated. Of over 20,000 boys and girls, who left rural elementary schools during the last ten years, the majority of the boys took up work connected with farming or gardening or entered trades serving agriculturah communities, and a majority of the girls found employment in domestic work, which includes dairying dr the care of poultry. There appears to be only a slight tendency' for young people in rural areas to change from one type of occupation to another. Of about 2,300 boys and. girls who had" entered rural occupations, less than 10 per cent, had left the land for other occupations during the period. It is still more -satisfactory to learn that, boys from depressed urban areas are not averse from seeking ruraV Work, though agriculture does "not offer . many openings for them. Fighting Bishop.

The aged Archbishop of' Wales has no doubt' forgotten,' though I' have ‘not,- an encounter of long ago in the parliamentary lobby.. As the result of taking part in a boxing contest during the week-end, I found myself one Monday afternoon lobbying with a brilliant black eye. It was a real beauty. To make it more awkward, I had to interview Dr. Edwards, then plain Bishop of St. Asaph, and known as “the fighting Bishop; When I buttonholed' him the fighting Bishop gazed with grim disfavour at my unfortunate optic. At that date journalism had a rather Bohemian reputation, and the Bishop drew unfavourable conclusions. I explained that the ornamentation was due, not to Bacchus, but to a boxing glove. At once the Bishop’s stern visage relaxed. He smiled sweetly. So glad to hear that,” he said. “Boxing is a healthy sport. Went in for it myself once!” '■ '

Battles Long Ago. Mr. E. V. Lucas, himself now a literary veteran, 'has been telling us of Chelsea Hospital, the Wren.hostel for old soldiers built by the Merry Monarch on the prompting of sweet Mistress . Nell Gwynne. A right spirit. controls this sanctuary of old wounds. Daily in turn each veteran nominates the dinner menu’s special item. The ancients have on their old-fashioned hats the letters R.H., which stands for “Royal Hospital,” arid riot as I once heard an East Ender suggest for “Royal Haftillery. The Great War was a bitter blow for these old Chelsea warriors, with their wellkept meSals and’oft-told tales of battles long ago. It side-tracked, them. Ashanti and Atbara could not compete with Festubert and Givenchy. But soon there will be Chelsea pensioners of the Great War, and the Mons Star will .restore the old aura. What a marvellous community of reminiscence these Old Swets will enjoy. ■ Police College.

Prosaic workmen at Hendon,: where the sky -.pilots hold their pageants, are busy turning a. country club into a Police College. The building must be ready for occupation by next month, and the. conversion operations are being hustled accordiiigly. .On May ,1,0 thirtytwo students will take up their residence at the new college, and ' everything has to be ready for these fresher undergrads who in most cases are old Blues. There may even be old . Blues iu. the real sense amongst them, but twenty at least are old Blues in that they, are uniformed police constables of some experience. The dozen others who complete the roll are examination graduates from public schools. Scotland Yard is', even now drafting the College curriculum. It will be a -stiff practical course; but there should be rich diversity, and'even some comic relief.' But here is one .college where there will be no “ragging. Hint from the Yard.

Scotland' Yard - takes a - keen professional interest in one phase -of bur postWar: theatre. Police officers,, both of. the uniformed and plain clothes variety, have been-close students of the -modem “crook” plays. On. the whole, I imagine, they must have been flattered by this epidemic. - They; are -usually -handled with far more respect on the stage than they have been in “crook” novels,-which too often follow • Mr. • Sherlock Holmes’ lead of making the. Yard man a sort, of comic relief. In stage crook melodrama nobody cuts a handsomer-figure as a rule than the .detective- from the - Yard. This is appreciated at headquarters... .In a successful drama a hint from a. Yard expert, as to -the method of securing finger-print evidence was gratefully- accepted by the author. The episode -was recast nearer to the Yard’s sense of detective propriety.