Evening star., 1947-08-12
BY the Associated Press


LONDON, Aug. 12.-The House
of Commons voted authorization
to the Labor government today
to muster full resources of Brit
ain, including manpower and
industry, for the national recov-
cry program.
The bill, passed 178 to 63 after
an entire night of debate, specifical-
ly gave the Attlee administration
extensive powers to direct the man
agement of labor and supplies, so
"the whole resources of the COM
munity are available for use and
are used in a manner best calcu-
lated to serve the interests of the
community.
The opposition ballots came from
Conservative and Liberal opponents
who had attacked the legislation
as a dictator bill" The vote, on
the third and final reading, followed
nearly 18 hours of debate. The
Labor Party holds a majority OF
about two to one in the Commons.
The House of Lords was to re-
ceive the bill for debate on second
reading during the afternoon.
The act continued indefinitely and
made applicable for the new pur-
pose of coping with the national
economic crisis the emergency pow
ers given the government, then
Conservative, at the beginning of
the war. The powers were renewed
on a short-term basis in 1945 to
cover the transitional. period from
war to peace.
Many Left Session.
The government has not indi-
Gated the extent 1t plans to use
the powers.
The vote in the House, which con-
sists of GAO members, was relatively
low because many tired during the
session and went home. The Labor
majority made the result a fore
gone conclusion.
The vote on the third and last
reading of the bill was completed at
8:48 am. (3:48 am. EDIT, after the
Labor majority had Tended off
ceaseless opposition efforts to kill or
amend the legislation on the ground
that, 1t would endanger the nations
"hard-won liberties"
The debate finally resolved itself
into struggle against time, with
the government fighting relentless
" to win approval of the measure
before 2::30 pm. Continuation of
the debate beyond that hour would
automatically have Cancelled the
days business and made it impos-
sible to get the bill through the
House of Lords in time to permit
Parliament to take summer recess
beginning tomorrow.
Churchill Charges Dictatorship.
The opposition leader, Winston
Churchill, taking up the cudgels
against Prime Minister Attlee again,
charged during the night that the
government bill-extending and re-
inforcing wartime government pow
ers over industry and labor-con-
ferred virtual dictatorial powers on
a cabinet whose prime minister
might be discarded" at any mo-
ment.
But the government, using its pre-
ponderant majority, beat down every
challenge and only once did it ac-
cept an amendment That was one
offered by Liberal Leader Clement
Davies which guaranteed that the
government would not use its sweep
ing powers under the bill for Sup
preston or suspension" of the press
Deputy Prime Minister Hebert
Morrison agreed that the use of
such powers against the press Ger
tainly would not be justifiable in
circumstances of peace"
Three Laborites joined in criticiz-
ing some aspects of the bill, but the
most outspoken Of these, Capt. Ray
mond Blackburn, angrily rejected a
shouted Conservative invitation to
"cross over" to the opposition side OF
the chamber.
Sore Spot Touched.
Just before dawn Conservative
Peter ROBBERS jabbed a probing finger
into one of the Labor Party'S sore
spots with an amendment seeking
to ban regulations or orders
for the purpose of bringing all or
any part of the assets of the iron
(See BRITAIN, Page A-6.)
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