Evening star., 1949-02-28
More Naturalization
OF British Industry
Reported Planned
by the Associated Press

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ed to expand their program for
government ownership of basic in
dustry, reliable informantS say.
Party leaders and cabinet off,
cials, headed by Prime Minister
Attlee, held a weekend meeting
at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.
The meeting was closed. but re-
ports of the discussions came from
reliable sources.
The informants said the sugar
refining and water supply indus
tries already are on tentative
naturalization list to be offered
in next years general election
platform.
The chemical industry quite
possibly will be added to the list,
the informants said.
Shipbuilding Dropped.
It was understood that trade
union objections resulted in leav-
ing the shipbuilding industry off
the naturalization list. Flour
milling also was reported put aside
for the present.
But the party has been exam
lining 20 or 80 industries to see
which are the most suitable and
there may be some surprises be-
fore 1885," an informant said.
The Labor government already
has taken over overseas airways,
the Bank of England. cable and
wireless communications, coal
mines, railroad and inland water
transport and electricity supply.
The steel naturalization bill now
Is in Parliament. Radio broad
casting was government owned
before the Laborites took over the
government.
Cut in Living Costs Sought.
British newspaper reports today
said the conference decided to
bear down on moves to cut living
costs, especially a reform in the
system of distribution of food
and other necessities. An observer
for the pro-government Daily
Mirror said the plan was to over
haul the whole system of getting
goods to the housewife by cutting
out many middlemen.
Other observers said labor would
not press distribution reform to
the point Of naturalization and
would keep hands off the CO.
operative movement. The liberal
News Chronicle said the reform
would not affect the small re-
taller.
The conference resuma bly,
marked the start of the campaign
for the general elections expected
to be called for June, 1850.
It was held after a labor victory
last week in a key London by-elec-
ton and.anid a growing contro-
versy within the Conservative
Party over the leadership Of Win
ston Churchill.
Blow to Conservatives.
The defeat in the crucial South
Hamf1iersrnith district came as a
blow to Conservative leaders. In
siders say post mortems have re-
suited in a rising demand for
drastic revision of Tory tactics:
The Tories have failed to win a
seat held by a Labor member in
81 by-elections since 1915.
Mr.. Churchills critics said his
attacks on the Labor Party have
not offered constructive counter
proposals. A high Conservative
leader said recently Of the 73-
year-old Mr.. Churchill, wartime
idol who still is the partys top
figure:
They cheer for Churchill but
they vote for Labor"
The criticism of Mr.. Churchill
broke into print, significantly, in
Lord Cambrose's conservative
Daily Telegraph which reported
serious unrest" among Conserva-
tive members of parliament.
Meanwhile. the Communists,
who have only two members
among the $40 in Commons, is
sued manifesto declaring war on
the Labor Party. The LaboriteS
rejected Communist support in
the South HammerSmith election
and the Communists threatened
to retaliate by putting up 100
candidates in the general elec-
tionS next year,