20 JULY 1929, Page 21

MENTAL INDOLENCE.

It is true. that in the first place, the recommendations of the Expert-Con:Mate& are a Matter for the considera;- tion of and decision 'by the respective Governments con- cerned but it is always well when behind the Q.OYM- ments and the Experts is the force of an intelligent public opinion, or at least—in this. case7-the driving force of the banking and business community. In the United States the subject of the propoSed new Central Bank is being keenly discussed insall its bearings, and long before London became familiat .with ;the-tides through the medium of the CoMmittee's published Report New York. had been busy discussing the.details of the scheme as it was first formulated in stages _months ago in Paris. In this country, however, we seem to be content that the, subject should be considered and decided upon by one or two experts, and that London bankers should simply fall in with whatever course is taken. In so far as such an attitude is inspired by confidence in the Bank of England and the one or two experts (drawn from the Bank Com tY there is, of course, much to be said' for its justification on the ground,: of such trust being warranted by past expe- rience, but in so far as it betokens—as I am afraid it does —a mental indolence in the matter of individual inves- tigation into the situation, it does not promise well for an intelligent co-operation when the experiment is carried out.