23 MAY 1925, Page 2

The progressive Unionism of the Prime Minister evi- dently appeals

to the undergraduates of Oxford, who gave him a hearty welcome at the Union when he spoke there on Friday, May 15th. Mr. Baldwin made a most earnest appeal to educated young men of to-day to recognize the responsibilities of their privileged position. He illus- trated his points from the life of Lord Milner, the whole of whose career was " a protest against waste and in- efficiency." The most interesting passage in the speech, because it contained a new promise, was that in which Mr. Baldwin declared that we were paying too much for electric light and power, and that the problem of cheaper power must be dealt with quickly. The expert- com- mittee on the subject had completed their report, and if the Cabinet approved of it a Bill for supplying cheap power would be introduced in the autumn. This will entail a heavy autumn session. But we are extremely glad that the Government mean business, as we are con- vinced that the provision of cheaper power will greatly reduce unemployment. It is significant that the Govern- ment have offered an important post in the Ministry of Transport to Mr. S. L. Pearce, chief electrical engineer at Manchester. Mr. Pearce is an ardent advocate of huge generating stations.