A SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK
THERE are the makings of an early clash between the Govern- ment and the House of Lords in the insistence by the former on maintaining what are known as "transitional powers "—in other words, continued controls—for as long as five years. Continuance of controls of course there must be, and if the Government had been content with the two-years limit for which the Opposition stood the Bill might have gone through as an agreed measure. As it was, all the argument was on one side and all the voting on the other. It is manifestly impossible to foresee today what the general situation and outlook in October, 1947, will be, and the demand that by that time the Government should come back to the. House and ask for-, a further extension of whatever powers it thought it necessary to retain was as completely reasonable as the Government's insistence on a retention of controls even beyond the lifetime of the present Parliament is completely unreasonable. There is little doubt what the view of the House of Lords will be, but it is still possible that the Government may reflect further on the advantages of harmony and respond to the very persuasive appeal made by Mr. Eden on the third reading of the Bill to accept the two-years limitation at the eleventh hour, and so avoid hostilities out of which no good could come to anyone. It is certain that any extension of powers for which the Government could make a good case two years hence would be readily conceded.
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