The propoSal should be interpreted in the light of what
Mr. Morrison said in the House of Commons on November 6th. He then explained that- it -would -beeome more and more necessary to place publicly•owned undertakings not in the hands, of a Secretary of State, or of politicians or of public persons accustomed to the procedure of Parliament, but in the hands of " a limited number of first=class business men." The plan which, Mr. Morrison is working out was recommended in the Liberal Yellow Book. Since Monday, the Government have allowed much more to be known. The Times says that the scheme has already advanced considerably further than Mr. Morrison implied. " Public ownership " is the objective. The idea is to establish a controlling body on the lines of the Metro- politan Water Board or the Central Electricity Board. The interests to be brought into the common service will be the Underground Railways, the Metropolitan Railway, the omnibuses and the tramways. The case of the Metro- politan Railway presented exceptional difficulty, as the railway extends beyond the London area. It was decided, however, that it could not be left out. Another difficulty was the suburban services of the main-line railways. These have been excluded.
