4 JANUARY 1913, Page 11

The means by which the Commissioners propose to deal with

the situation thus created was fully explained by Mr. Lloyd George in his most important speech to the Advisory Committee on Thursday afternoon. Under the apparently conciliatory tone which he showed to the medical profession it is easy to see the autocratic character of the methods which the Commissioners propose to employ. The weapon upon which they chiefly rely is, it will be seen, their power of closing or reopening the doctors' panels at any moment they choose. Mr. Lloyd George first announced that on Thursday morning nearly ten thousand doctors were on the panels, and that as regards distribution in three-fourths of the kingdom the panels were already complete, and in a further eighth were approaching completion.