There was an unexpected breeze on Monday. Clause 14 of
the Agriculture Bill provides for financial assistance to local authorities to help defray the cost of land drainage. Labour Members had heard rumours of a circular, recently issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, laying down that the wages to be paid would be restricted to the local agri- cultural rate except in the vicinity of big towns, or industrial areas. To the general astonishment Mr. Morrison replied that he knew nothing of this instruction. His department had to send out a vast number of forms and circulars. Such an opportunity was too good to be missed, and speaker after speaker rose from the Liberal and Labour benches to demand the production of this mysterious document. Eventually, after an hour's debate and presumably frantic searching of the Ministerial files, the circular was forth- coming. Its terms, which proved to be as stated, did nothing to placate the critics. The two Oppositions were not satisfied until they had extracted a promise from the Minister to re-examine the whole matter.
Previous page
