In the Lords on Friday week Lord Midleton unfolded a
lucid case for adjourning the second reading of the War Pensions Bill. He pointed out that in the Commons the whole, financial basis of the Bill had been cut away, and such a measure should certainly not be passed in a hurry. He objected to the choice of the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation as the Statutory Committee. He would prefer the Chelsea
Hospital Board. Why appoint a new public body at a cost of probably 225,000 a year P Lord Lansdowne urged that a Statutory Committee was required to obtain uniformity in administration. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Associa- tion had rendered immense services, but Committees which were not truly representative could not be entrusted with public money, though he sincerely hoped the members would sit on local Committees. Lord Cromer very temperately asked for a reasonable adjournment of the Bill. He fully admitted the need for considerable State control at a time of crisis, but it was unnecessary and unwise to jump to the other extreme and turn away volunteers whose work had been most valuable. The strange thing was that many of the persons who discouraged voluntary work and approved, as for instance in this Bill, of substituting for it more expensive State administration would have nothing but voluntary service when it was a question of defending the country I
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