London, Nov. 29.
The debate on the Address provided one item of comic relief. Ha Ing led his followers ucross the floor in solemn displeasure at the shortcomings of a Government which had, in fact, been largely instrument in getting him returned to Parliament in 1031, Six Herbert Samuel then Jed them into the Government lobbies to vote with the men he had deserted againat the amendment to the Address.
he explained afterward; was to mark his complete independence, The Samuuclites had amendment of their own down for ext day and the fact that it differs func material respect from the Eabour amendment must the mot prevent its getting the advertise. ment of a separate vote, Sir "Herbert's object is evident: he dreams of a great revival of Gladstonian Liberalism, though he aplght find it dificult to define exact what that means, and talks of 400 followers to fight at the next lection, But the dismay of the papers which have been supporting him is Iudierous, "He has made what we believe to be " profound Dhundey," says the "News-Chronicle" and goes on to read him a severe Jecture, The Goverment is so vile, it thinks, that no stick to beat it with should be neglected, even if you Aelike the shape of the stick and the man who would lend it you.
Labour and the Means Test 'The other high light of the debate wag Sir Stafford Cripps? unculvoeal declaration, that the 1a; our Party are absolutely oppose' to the means test, The simple fact that an applicant for a fob is out work should entitle him to the dole no matter whet his private resources. 'This, of course, is mere votecatching.' Mr. Lansbury had confessed the day before that he used to favour a means test, but when his Party yoted against it at the Brighton conference he changed his attitude, the low rents which the working class can pay: such builders de end on quick sales which keep their Nmnall capital liquid, Tin the year ending September, 1983, (218,000 houses. were built, 1969{000 by: private enterprise. But of there 82 per cent. were built to Sell—the small houses of the blackcoated brigade which are springing up a0 rapidly. Of new houses to let 0s, a week and under the supply thus much below the need.
In respect of slum-clearance, the atinister's five-year programme looks the clearing away of 200,000. Bat competent authorities put' the number that should be wiped out Nery much higher than that—even Uihree or four times as high. And be it remembered, in, five years, man; houses, now classed ts passable, wil have become slums.
Trafic Deaths Yet another report on the death toll of the roads from the Min of Transport, covering the first si months of the current year. It dis-Closes "2,008 accidents causing the deaths of $,025 persons, For the past three years. totals of " those Killed' on the roads have been; Ts 1930
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.