A few days ago the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER facetiously compared
the critics of the Government to the poet of _Rejected Addresses_
who declared that it was BUONAPARTE "who makes the quartern loaf and
Luddites rise." Out of the Government's own mouth the critics are now,
at any rate, partially justified, for the PRIME MINISTER announced
that the bread subsidy was to be halved, and that on and after April
12th the quartern loaf would rise--he did not quite know where.
In view of the occasional rumours of friction between Government
departments it is pleasant to record that the Ministry of Transport
and the War Office are on the friendliest terms. Invited to abolish,
in the interests of the taxpayer, the cheap railway tickets now issued
to soldiers, Mr. NEAL said it was primarily a question for the War
Office, as in this matter Sir ERIC GEDDES would wish to move in
harmony with Mr. CHURCHILL. As the WAR SECRETARY promptly announced
his intention of doing his best to maintain the soldiers' privilege it
is conjectured that he will return from the ride with Sir ERIC inside.
The new Member for Paisley delivered his maiden speech to-night, and
acquitted himself so well that in the opinion of Members many months
his senior he is likely to go far. The Government had proposed to
"guillotine" the remaining Supplementary Estimates in order to get
them through before March 31st. Some ardent economists, mainly drawn
from the Coalition, while ready to concede the end, protested
against the means, and proposed that the House should make its own
arrangements.
[Illustration: _RARA AVIS IN TERRIS_.
"Never since the days of Icarus had there been an aviator quite like
the right hon. gentleman [Mr. WINSTON CHURCHILL]. He had displayed
much sympathy with the Air Force and had almost been one of its
martyrs."--_Lord HUGH CECIL_.]
Mr. BONAR LAW promptly perceived the advantage of transferring from
the Government to the House a disagreeable responsibility. Forgetting
that he was cast for the executioner, not the hero, he murmured, "It
is a far, far better thing," and graciously accepted the proposed
alternative. Mr. ASQUITH, not unwilling to help in establishing a
precedent which some day he himself may find useful, backed him up,
and the House, as a whole, congratulating itself on its escape from
the public executioner, cheerfully proceeded to commit _harakiri_.
_Tuesday, March 9th_.--Mr. SHORTT relieved our apprehensions by
stating that the few spurious "Bradburys" in circulation are of home
manufacture, and that, while a few specimens emanating from Russia had
been sent here for identification, they were so poorly executed that
they would scarcely pass muster in this country. It is comforting to
think that there is one British industry which has nothing to fear
from foreign dumping, but is cheerfully forging ahead.
The HOME SECRETARY also denied that there had been any remarkable
increase in pocket-picking or that schools existed for the training of
young criminals. As Sir MAURICE DOCKRELL pointed out, there is
indeed no need for them so long as the cinemas provide their present
facilities. _Fagin_ has been quite knocked out by the film.
The Parliamentary vocabulary extends apace. Mr. RENDALL, whose motion
on divorce had been postponed under the new arrangements for business
until after Easter, complained that Sir FREDERICK BANBURY had "done
him down."
Part of the evening was devoted to the bread-subsidy. The debate
incidentally illustrated the intellectual independence of Ministers.
A few days ago Mr. LLOYD GEORGE, in advocating the resumption of trade
with Russia, declared that "the corn-bins of Russia were bulging with
grain." To-night Mr. MCCURDY told the House that, according to his
information, the resumption of trade With Russia was not likely to
open up any large store of wheat or grain in the near future.
Possibly there is no real incongruity. The grain may be there, but the
Russians, greedy creatures, may be going to eat it themselves.
_Wednesday, March 10th_.--Even in the gloomy atmosphere of the
Upper Chamber the subject of divorce lends itself to humour. Lord
BUCKMASTER, who introduced a Bill founded on the recommendations of
the Royal Commission, performed his task with due solemnity, but
some of the noble Lords who opposed it were positively skittish. Lord
BRAYE, for example, thought that, if the Bill passed, _Who's Who_
would require a supplement entitled _Who's Who's Wife_; and Lord
PHILLIMORE illustrated the effects of easy divorce by a story of a
Swiss marriage in which the bride-elect was attended by four of the
happy man's previous spouses. He also told another of an American
judge who, having explained that in this department of his duties he
was "very strict," added, "Of course I make no difficulty the first
time, but if they come again within twelve months I want a good
reason."
Mr. HOGGE led a vigorous attack on the Ministry of Transport, which
he seemed to think had done very little for its money except to divert
the omnibuses at Westminster and so make it more difficult for
Members of Parliament to get to the House. Mr. KENNEDY JONES, who was
responsible for the innovation, rather hinted that in the case of some
Members this might not be altogether an objection. The brunt of the
defence fell upon Mr. NEAL, owing to the regretted absence of his
chief, who had been ordered away by his doctor for a much-needed
holiday and was reported to be recruiting himself on the golf-links.
If exercise is what he needs he could have got plenty of it in the
House to-night. Thanks to a persistent minority, Members were kept
tramping through the Lobbies for the best part of five hours, and did
not complete the full round of eighteen divisions until 2.15 A.M.
_Thursday, March 11th_.--Possibly the news of "direct action's" heavy
cropper at the Trade Union Conference had reached the Front Bench
before the PRIME MINISTER, in reply to a question regarding the
shortage of labour in the building trades, bluntly attributed it
to the stringency of the Trade Union regulations. When Mr. ADAMSON
attempted to shift the blame on to a Government Department Mr. LLOYD
GEORGE retorted that he would be perfectly ready to deal with any
peccant official if the Labour Leader for his part would deal with the
Trade Unions.
General SEELY repeated his familiar arguments in favour of an
independent Air Ministry, and Mr. CHURCHILL once more defended his
position, urging that it was better for the Air Service to have half
a Minister in the Cabinet than none at all. To a suggestion that
the lives of the Armenians might have been saved if we had sent more
aeroplanes to Asia Minor, Mr. CHURCHILL replied that unfortunately the
Armenian and Turkish populations were so intermingled that our bombs
would be dropping indiscriminately, like the rain, "upon the just and
unjust feller."
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[Illustration: _Actor_ (_who has brought friend in for supper--to
lodging-house keeper_). "TUT, TUT, MA! CEASE YOUR APOLOGIES. WHAT IF
THERE IS BUT TWOPENNYWORTH OF FISH AND CHIPS? BRING IT FORTH. THIS IS
BOHEMIA!"
_Ma_ (_politely bowing to stranger_). "HOW D'YE DO, SIR?"]
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