We have dealt elsewhere with Mr. Prothero's speech introducing the
new Corn Production Bill. The chief opposing speaker in Tuesday's debate was Mr. Runciman, who criticized tho Govern- ment proposals in a speech of considerable ability, the value of which was practically destroyed by his own record. He said that while he and his friends would support the minimum wages for labourers, they would oppose the bounties. He could not regard the Bill as a measure of national safety, It was no substitute for more effective action by the Admiralty in dealing with the submarines, and the present method of calculating our shipping lames was most fallacious. We agree, and we also agree with his view that it would be far better to tell the whole truth as to tonnage and enable the country to realize the need for still further reductions in consump- tion. He dwelt on the dangers of creating a new vested interest by a subsidy to farmers which would survive the need of it, and pro- posed to meet the shortage of cereals by establishing granaries and storing wheat to live on during the blockade.
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