BRITAIN’S KING.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19900, 1 June 1936, Page 9

BRITAIN’S KING.

A SOCIALIST TRIBUTE FRIEND OF THE PEOPLE. LONDON, May 6. Mr Pethick-Lawrence, Socialist M.P. for East Edinburgh, paid a warm trihulc to the King when the House of Commons debated the Civil List last night, says the Daily Mail. We had in our present King, he said, a man who had more direct and intimate associations and friendship with the common people than any monarch since the days of Charles 11. Socialist members were not in favour of expensive and extravagant ceremonial, but royal palaces, royal onlvrluiunn'nls, and royal farms were national institutions, and their up—keep was rightly a national charge. He was satisfied that the waste, extravagance, and sinecures which were characteristic of Courts in days gone by had to a great extent been eliminated, and if there were still any economies to be effected advantageously he believed they were small in extent and would not make a great difference to the total amount. Sir A. Sinclair, the Liberal leader, said it was appropriate that they, as representatives of the people and guardians of the public purse, should not approach the question of making prousion of his Majesty in a. niggling spirit, for there had been nothing niggling or grudging in the way the Royal Family had approached its public duties. \Vorth of the Monarchy. Mr Oswald Lewis (C., Colchester) said that the worth of the monarchy could not be measured in pounds, shillings. and pence. They were prepared to grant such sums as were necessary to maintain the Monarch in a state of dignity worthy of the head of a great State. The cost to the United States of the President was far Sl't‘uli‘l‘ llian the rust of the monarchy in this country. Mr Chamberlain, Chancellor of the Exrhequer, said the net effect of the changes in the Civil List was torre—iiuee it from £470,000 21 year to ill [O.OOO. ()win: to the fact that the King \\.|.~ unmarried, n.» prm‘isiun was All present required for the Queen, as nus made in lhe last Civil List. Al- - provision was manic for such .i hummer-my Ivy sullin." mule HO,U(JU l'm' llll> purpose. the nmnun‘; would remain undmwn as long as the prcsv on! Kim: remained unnuiz‘rie l. There new no children and no l’rinre of Wales. The revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall were for the Limo. hoing vested in his Majesty. and lliO King hurl expressed his desire that those revenues shouli he placed :11. the disposal of the State. That meant that another £711,000 would be nvuilnhle first of all for iho relief of his Majesty's privy purse by 1:77.000 and 352000 for the relief of other Charges. The necessary resolutions were agreed to.