On Monday in the House of Commons, when Parliament reassembled,
the Children Bill, which had been sent from Grand Committee, was considered on report. Both on this day and on Tuesday Mr. Lupton, a Liberal Member, was very active in ridiculing the smoking clauses as a mistaken attempt to invade the province of parental control. On Tuesday Mr. Balfour made a, vigorous attack on the clauses. He had no doubt that the increase of smoking among boys wee due to the example of men and women. If the law in effect dared the boys to smoke, they would discover a fresh zest in smoking. It would become a new kind of sport to outwit and chaff policemen. The Bill applied only to publiC places ; in " private places boys would be able to • puff their cigarettes in a policeman's face, and Moreover they Would smoke pipes and bad cigars even in public. The Government were revert- ing to mediaeval legislation. Mr. Gladstone defended the clauses, which were retained by a majority of 147 (231 to 84). We have a good deal of sympathy with the reflections of Mr. Balfour and Mr. Lupton, but on the whole we think the balance of argument is in favour of the clauses on the evidence as to the effect of smoking on physical develop- ment. The national physique concerns not only parents, but the whole nation.
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