When the Socialist Government Jcame into office, they decided that it, would be quite unnecessary for any of the Ministers to have police pro tection at their houses, as was often done by Ministers in the late Govern. ment. This move was thought to be Jo gesture that Ministerial tyranny; was to end and a new era of peaceful harmony was to reign. How-it was not many days after taking up their seals of office that two men called to see Mr.
Henderson, the Foreign Secretary, fat his flat in St. Ermin's. One of them waved a revolver when he was refused admittance and since then 'a policeman has been placed on guard outside St. Ermin's to deal ith any unwelcome guests. In view of the firm line that the Government seems to be taking in the face of an angry Left wing, one may prophesy that it will not be very long before other Ministers [besides Mr. Henderson have to be protected.
The Week in Parliament One of the most interesti features about the opening se lof this new Parliament is that as much criticism of the Government has come from its own back benches jas from the Conservatives themselves. Quite an angry controversy Jarose between Mr. Thomas and Mr.
J. Brown (another Labour man) when the former was expounding his colonial development measure. bir, Brown wanted an assurance that the money given would not be in support. of any private enterprise, but only for schemes with a Socialistie complexion. Mr, Thomas would not give him any such assurance and suggested that, after he had been in Parliament a little longer, he would evince greater wisdom. This was too much for Mr. Brown, who made fam angry complaint about Mr.
Mr, Churchill made one of his delightfully irenic speeches on Tuesday in criticism of Mr. Thomas's proposals for dealing with unemployment. While he offered no objection to the granting of £25,000,000 ' of Treasury-controlled money for trade tees, he thought it lea that some of the miners to make silk stockings and congratulated Mr. Thomas on his [conversion to the Conservative policy fof helping private enterprise. On the whole, he likened Mr, Thomas's proposals to attempting to drain the Thames, with a terrace teacup Jand suggested*that the Government, were admitting the pettiness of their lown proposals by budgetting for an unemployment figure of 1,200,000 throughout the winter, The Labour back-benchers seem restive at the thought that they wi shortly have to face their constitu-lents for the summer recess and do not. want to go back empty-handed. Having promised to make the land flow with milk and honey as soon as, they took up the reins of offi they feel that they may be received. rather coldly by their friends now that nothing very substantial has beer accomplished after all, The main feature on Wednesday was the throwing out of the London Trafic Kill, The Liberals joined the Socialists "in voting against. it. Conservatives are bitterly regretting that they did not have time to get this Bill through last Session, The help given to relieving the congestion of the London traffic would probably. have been in'mense, but the thought of letting a private combine get jon of the whole traffic the Government. 'They want. public ownership, because they think that this is the only way of avoiding the exploitation of the public, Whether it will ever be possible' to municipalire the whole traffic of London, when at present the G.G. owns nothing but the trains, remains to be seen. Even if it is one doubts ver much whether the direction will a efficient as it would eis of a private compa
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.