The House of Commons on Thursday, December 9th, had a
set debate on economy. Mr. Lambert in an able speech moved that the House should decline to sanction expenditure for 1921-22 in excess of £808,000,000—the total estimated for a "normal year" by Mr. Chamberlain in October, 1919. His mistake was to take too low a figure. He complained of " the sloppy Socialism " of the departments in regard to industry. He said that the Admiralty now had a staff three times as large as it was at the outbreak of war, and that more men were now employed in the dockyards than in July, 1914. Expenditure could only be reduced by rationing the departments, and the House must give the Government its full support in dealing with the recalcitrant officials. Mr. Marriott, who seconded the motion, said that it expressed the country's grave alarm at the state of the finances. " The House ought to give the Treasury a specific line to work upon," by fixing the total expenditure. " Reconstruction " ought to begin with sound finance, which meant that the Government must spend less.
