_Monday, June 28th._--Less than thirty years ago the prophets of ill
foresaw ruin for the British shipping trade if the dock labourers got their
"tanner." The "tanner" has now become a florin, and this afternoon the
Peers passed without a dissentient voice the Second Reading of a Bill to
enable Port and Harbour authorities to pay it.
They were much more critical over the Increase of Rent Bill, and at the
instance of Lord MIDLETON defeated by a two to one majority the
Government's proposal to deprive landlords of the power to evict strikers
in order to provide accommodation for men willing to work. But the
Government got a little of their own back on the clause authorising an
increase of rent on business premises by forty per cent. Lord SALISBURY
wanted seventy-five per cent. and haughtily refused Lord ASTOR'S sporting
offer of fifty, but on a division he was beaten by 25 to 23.
In the Commons Sir FREDERICK HALL complained that slate and slack were
still being supplied to London consumers under the guise and at the price
of coal. What was the Government going to do about it? Mr. BRIDGEMAN
replied that control having been removed the Government could do nothing,
and consumers must find their own remedy--a reply which drove Sir FREDERICK
into such paroxysms of indignation that the SPEAKER was obliged to
intervene.
Mr. KILEY'S gloomy vaticinations as to the disastrous effect of the Plumage
Bill on British commerce met with no encouragement from Sir ROBERT HORNE.
In his opinion, I gather, our foreign trade is quite safe, and the Bill
will not knock a feather out of it.
To Viscount CURZON'S inquiry whether the Allies were going to proceed with
the trial of the EX-KAISER the PRIME MINISTER at first replied that he had
"nothing to add." On being twitted with his election-pledge he added a good
deal. When he gave that pledge, it seems, he did not contemplate the
possibility that Holland would refuse to surrender her guest, and he had no
intention of using force to compel her. WILLIAM HOHENZOLLERN, he
considered, was not worth any more bloodshed. In that case the Government
would save a good deal of Parliamentary time if they were definitely to
write him off with their other bad debts.
Among other methods of brightening village life the Ministry of Agriculture
has lately circulated "rules for the mutual insurance of pigs and cows."
The intellectual development of our domestic animals evidently proceeds
apace. We have all heard of the learned pig, but that the cow also should
be deemed capable of conducting actuarial calculations does, I confess,
surprise me.
[Illustration: "WHO WAS CHIEF MOURNER?"
"I," SAID THE WREN,
"I, WEDGWOOD BENN,
I WAS CHIEF MOURNER." ]
Having heard the latest feat of the Sinn Feiners in kidnapping a British
General, the House evidently considered that it had better hurry up with
the Government of Ireland Bill. Clauses 51 to 69 were run through in
double-quick time. Only on Clause 70, providing for the repeal of the Home
Rule Act of 1914, did any prolonged debate arise. Captain WEDGWOOD BENN
pleasantly described this as the only clause in the Bill that was not
nonsense, and therefore moved its omission. He was answered by the PRIME
MINISTER, who declared that no Irishman would now be content with the Act
of 1914, and defended the present Bill on the curious ground that it gave
Ireland as much self-government as Scotland had ever asked for. Sir EDWARD
CARSON'S plea that it was a case of "this Bill or an Irish Republic" was
probably more convincing. In a series of divisions the "Wee Frees" never
mustered more than seventeen votes. The author of the Act of 1914, Mr.
ASQUITH, was not present at the obsequies.
_Tuesday, June 29th._--The establishment of a "National home" for the
Jewish race in Palestine aroused the apprehensions of Lord SYDENHAM and
other Peers, who feared that the Moslem inhabitants would be exploited by
the Zionists, and would endeavour to re-establish Turkish rule. Lord CURZON
did his best to remove these impressions. Authority in Palestine would be
exercised by Great Britain as the Mandatory Power, and the Zionists would
not be masters in their "national home," but only a sort of "paying
guests." The confidence felt in Sir HERBERT SAMUEL'S absolute impartiality
as between Jews and Arabs was such that a high authority had prophesied
that within six months the High Commissioner would be equally unpopular
with both races.
In the Commons Mr. BALDWIN explained that the Inland Revenue Authorities
were taking all possible steps to collect income-tax in Ireland despite the
obstacles placed in their way by the local authorities. Whereupon Sir
MAURICE DOCKRELL, in his richest brogue, summarised the Irish situation as
follows: "Is not the difficulty that they do not know which horse to back?"
A Bill "to continue temporarily the office of Food Controller" was read a
first time. The House would, I think, be sorry to part with Mr. MCCURDY,
whose replies to Questions are often much to the point. He was asked this
afternoon, for example, to give the salaries of three of his officials, and
this was his crisp reply: "The Director of Vegetable Supplies serves the
Ministry without remuneration; the post of Deputy-Director of Vegetable
Supplies does not exist, and that of Director of Fish Supplies has lapsed."
Mr. BONAR LAW shattered two elaborately-constructed mare's-nests when he
announced that the appointment of a British Ambassador to Berlin was made
in pursuance of an agreement arrived at in Boulogne on the initiative of
the French Government, and that Lord D'ABERNON'S name was suggested by the
FOREIGN SECRETARY. I am not betraying any confidence when I add that it
will be no part of Lord D'ABERNON'S new duties to establish a Liquor
Control Board on the Spree.
The Overseas Trade (Credits and Insurance) Bill was skilfully piloted
through its Second Reading by Mr. BRIDGEMAN. The House was much pleased to
hear that only nine officials would be required to administer the
twenty-six millions involved, and that their salaries would not exceed
seven thousand pounds a year--although two of them were messengers.
But this temporary zeal for economy quickly evaporated when the Pre-War
Pensions Bill made its appearance. Member after Member got up to urge the
extension of the Bill to this or that deserving class, until Sir L.
WORTHINGTON-EVANS pointed out that, if their demands were acceded to, the
Bill, instead of costing some two millions a year, would involve three or
four times that amount.
_Wednesday, June 30th._--The Lords discussed, in whispers suitable to the
occasion, the Official Secrets Bill. As originally drawn it provided that
any person retaining without lawful authority any official document should
be guilty of a misdemeanour. But, thanks to the vigilance of Lords BURNHAM
and RIDDELL, this clause, under which every editor in Fleet Street might
have found himself in Holloway, was appreciably softened. Even so, the
pursuit of "stunts" and "scoops" will be a decidedly hazardous occupation.
The Press Lords were again on the alert when the Rents Bill came on, and
objected to a clause giving the LORD CHANCELLOR power to order proceedings
under the measure to be held in private. This time the LORD CHANCELLOR was
less pliant, and plainly suggested that the newspapers were actuated in
this matter by regard for their circulations. Does he really suppose that
the disputes of landlords and tenants will supply such popular "copy" as to
crowd out the confessions of Cabinet Ministers?
[Illustration: HALF MEASURES.
SIR ROBERT HORNE, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE, AND SIR ERIC GEDDES,
MINISTER OF TRANSPORT (_speaking together_). "That's a rummy get-up. But
perhaps he couldn't afford anything better."]
Constant cross-examination on the Amritsar affair, involving the necessity
of framing polite replies to thinly-veiled suggestions that MONTAGU rhymes
with O'DWYER, is making the SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA a little restive.
The tone in which he expressed his hope that the promised debate would not
be much longer delayed distinctly suggested that his critics would then be
"for it."
Two days ago the MINISTER OF TRANSPORT expounded in a White Paper his
elaborate plan for redistributing and co-ordinating the activities of the
railway companies--the North Eastern excepted--and directing them all from
an office in Whitehall. By the Ministry of Mines Bill it is proposed to
treat the mines in much the same way. Sir ERIC GEDDES' scheme has yet to
run the gauntlet of Parliamentary criticism. Sir ROBERT HORNE'S had its
baptism of fire this afternoon, and a pretty hot fire it was. Miners like
Mr. BRACE cursed it because it did not go all the way to Nationalisation;
coal-owners like Sir CLIFFORD CORY, because it went too far in that
direction. The voice of the mere consumer, who only wants coal cheap and
plentiful, was hardly heard. The second reading was carried, but by a
majority substantially less than the normal.
_Thursday, July 1st._--Unfortunately the House of Lords does not contain a
representative of Sinn Fein and therefore had no opportunity of learning
the opinion of the dominant party in Ireland regarding Lord MONTEAGLE'S
Dominion of Ireland Bill. Other Irish opinion, as expressed by Lords
DUNRAVEN and KILLANIN, was that it would probably cause the seething pot to
boil over. Lord ASHBOURNE made sundry observations in Erse, one of which
was understood to be that "Ireland could afford to wait." The Peers
generally agreed with him, and, after hearing from the LORD CHANCELLOR that
of all the Irish proposals he had studied this contained the most elements
of danger, threw out the Bill without a division.
"A sinecure, whose holder is in receipt of a salary of five thousand pounds
per annum," was Mr. BONAR LAW'S description of his office as Lord Privy
Seal. The House rewarded the modesty of its hard-working Leader with
laughter and cheers. None of his predecessors has excelled him in courtesy
and assiduity; as regards audibility there is room for improvement. Mr. LAW
rarely plays to the Gallery; but he might more often speak in its
direction.
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[Illustration: "THERE--THAT'S WHAT COMES O' ARGUING ALONG O' YOU; I'VE LAID
FOUR BRICKS OVER ME THREE 'UNDRED!"]
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"The funniest game in the world is chicket."--_Provincial Paper._
We should like to hear more of this humorous pastime.
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A daily paper describes the contest at Henley for the "Silver Giblets." It
is rumoured that the Goose that laid the Golden Eggs has become a
bimetallist.
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