THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1920, Page 3

THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Ily Electric Telegrapn--Colyright.i IN THE COMMONS. LONDON, Dec 9. In the House of Commons, Rt. Hon. Mr Lambert moved his motion to restrict the Government expenditure to 808 millions.

He violently attacked tlie military and other operations carried on in Egypt in Palestine, and in Mesopotamia. The expendture, he said, must come off “in chunks.”

Mr A. Chamberlain (Chancellor of the Exchequer), in replying, admitted that the Government was on its trial, Imt said that the Hoiise was also on its trial. “It lias to be decided,” lie said, “whether we shall be governed by irresponsible clamour or by tlie House of Commons.” In England, since the armistice, the expenditure has been reduced from 3150 millions to 1282 millions. This was a remarkable achievement. He admitted that then? was genuine anxiety regarding their prospects. The over-hopeful, over-confident, over-bor-rowing, over-trade and over-specula-tion doings of six months ago had been now succeeded by a reaction. Trade, he said, now was stagnant. Orders were hard to obtain. Nevertheless, lie and his advisers believed that the Budget would substantially realise expectations. No other country in Europe could show a parallel. The only other country that was paying its way was Denmark. He said an expenditure of 808 millions would bo readied by the Government without making any provision for unemployment, housing, or tho cost of a single soldier, sailor, or airman. lie wound up his speech by reading a number of decisions of the Cabinet regarding tlie next year’s expenditure. Firstly, it had been decided that no new social reforms should lie carried out involving a burden on the Exchequer or tlie municipal rates. Secondly, the State spending Department would lie instructed that the expected Cabinet’s approval of schemes involving expenditure must remain in abeyance. The House of Commons, by 321 votes to 60, rejected Mr Lambert’s motion. It carried an amendment, however, in general terms urging the Government, to prepare next year’s estimates with a view to the greatest economy.