PAID HEAVY PENALTY

Chronicle (Levin), 18 November 1947, Page 5

PAID HEAVY PENALTY

(N.Z.P.A.-

Reuter t

Commons Again Discusses Mr. Ifalton s Indiscrehon

CopyriQht)

Received Tuesday, 10.35 a.m. LONDON, Nov. 17.Tbe Conservaoive' ieaafcx, ivir. Cliurciiiii, m tfie House of Gommons, asiced the Prime Minister, ivir. Atiiee, lf ne was maxmg a staiem.eni on tne motion seexing a ! seiecu eomrmtiee on tne jouu&eu ! uisciosure oy tne former uhancenor j oi tne Excnequer, ivir. Jtiugm uaibon. ivxr. Autifcc saxu tne Gruvex'niiienu wouid not oppose a commitee 11 it was desirea. He said Mr. Dalton nact lnaue a very lun aua liumv ouateniexiL. "He paid a very heavy penaity for his mdiscreuion, x aiiow ne nas tne memoers.' sympamy m his misiortune. l can't ^ee wnat iurther miormation is requirea, out neiuner xvir. Dau,on nox tne Lrovemment wouia oppose a iur'mer mquiry, oecause tnere is notnmg wnauever to conceai. Tnere is notnmg wnatever- to reveai ueyuiic wnat ivir. Dauon has smce announcect to tne House." Mr. Churchill said: "I think it is in tne geiifcrai mtere,ats ux uu House ana oi' the lace Chancenoj. chat the lacts snould oe put on record by a responsible committee of tne House to ena any siantiexs o,. rumours." T'ne Liberal Party leader, Mr. Clement Davies, said the mquiry would oe m ivir. Daiton's best interests. Mr. Dalton was oeme' snn-

jected to all sorts of rumours and sianders. Mr. Beverley Baxter (Conservativei said tnat American and Canadian newspapers had been cabiing many memoers of the House oi i v/uiiixxioiis asxing for the inside story in the oenef that tnere was something sinister aoout it. Thret men were involved— Mr. Dalton the Star lobby coirespondent anu the Star editor — whom everybody believed to be men of absolute personal honour. Because they had olundered so unfortunately, and paid such a heavy price, would not it be honourable to hold' an inquiry? Mr. Arthur Greenwood (Labour) asked Mr. Attlee whether he agreed that the motion for a select committee, when it was moved, was debatable, and whether in the circumstances he wouid allow a free vote of the House on it. Mr. Attlee replied: "I understand such a motion is debatable. I snould iike to consider it." The Speaker, after further discussion, said he did not think there was any value in pursuing the sub-' ject further at present.