In the House of Commons on Monday Colonel Wilfrid ,Ashley
moved the Second Reading of the Electricity Bill. As we have explained the nature of the Bill more than Once and have written further about it in our first leading article this week, we may go straight to the criticisms in the debate. Mr. W. Graham, for the Labour Party, moved -the rejection of the Bill on the ground that nationalization would be much simpler. He thought the Bill would lead to an administrative Bedlam. The Board would spend its time in disputing instead of generating. The finance of the Bill was " rotten." It made an illegitimate use of public guarantees from which the State could expect no return. All would be easy if only the Electrical Com- missioners were put in as agents of State and municipal ownership. The applause bestowed on Mr. Graham's speech by a certain number of Unionists showed not, indeed, that they wanted his Socialism but that they re. joicei: in any injury he might be able to do to the Bill.
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