LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Philosophy of Liberalism .
SIR,—Mr. Philip Noel-Baker follows the usual practice of Socialists of using The half-lie. He implies the Conservatives opposed the National Insurance Act, the National Health Service Act, the Industrial Injuries Act and the Family Allowance Bill. Incidentally the Conservative Caretaker Government were actually responsible without a division for th Family Allowance Bill reaching the Statute Book. We supported both the National Insurance Act and the Industrial Injuries Act without a division. Indeed, of the latter, Mr. Osbert Peake, speaking for the Conservatives, said: "This Bill, in ray view, is a great scheme of dorm."
So far as the National Health Service Bill was concerned, we voted for our amendment as follows : "This House, while wishing 1 to establish a comprehensive Health Service, declines to give a second reading to a Bill which prejudices the patient's right to an independent family doctor, which retards the development of the hospital services by destroying local ownership, and gravely menaces all charitable foundations by diverting to purposes other than Those intended by the donors the trust funds of the voluntary hospitals; and which weakens the responsibility of Local Authorities without , planning the Health Services as a whole." Most people who know the facts today agree our views were right, and that had they been accepted the Health Service would be on a more satisfactory basis.
Mr. Noel-Baker fails to point out that Mr. Lloyd George condemned Socialism in the most vigorous language. Because all parties have supported measures of social progress or initiated legislation, this does not imply acceptance of a party's political dogma. That is the false Implication of Mr. Noel-Baker's case. Indeed, he might well mention that Dr. Dalton in most pungent terms repudiated all Liberals. Surely Mr. Clement Davies' insistence on the independence of the present Liberal Party in the House is the answer to any attempt of either Conservatives or Socialists to claim on the basis of common principles the soul and
spirit of Liberal adherents.—Yours, &c., IRENE WARD.
• House of Commons.
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