Nationalisation and - the Nation
The difference that arose in the House of Commons on Monday between the Minister of Transport and a number of private members regarding questions on the working of nationalised industries raises an issue of the first importance. What Mr. Barnes reiterated in answer to a number of questions on the paper was that matters relating to the day-to-day working of the railways lay in the hands of the National Transport Commission and were no concern of his. To quote his words : "Members of the House were entitled to put questions of detail then (i.e. till December 31st) because the State paid the rent of the railways. Since January 1st, however, the date of decontrol,
it has not been legitimate to put such questions to the Minister." We are left, then, with the singular conclusion that while the State only rented the railways any question could be asked about them, and that when it has acquired them outright no question regarding details of their working can. This applies equally to other industries, like coal and electricity, already nationalised and others about to be so treated. The principle may be defended legally but it is deplorable socially. The average citizen is rightly accustomed to
rely on a Parliamentary question put by his Member of Parliament to ventilate any legitimate grievance or draw attention to deficiencies in enterprises serving large numbers of the public. That is good democracy and it has had excellent results. It is a strange and lamentable thing if nationalisation under a Labour Government is to end it all.
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