Evening star., 1949-08-06
The Tory Alternative
Courageous Statement of Conservative Views
of British Economy Urged
Is partly due to the governments mis-
handling Of the food situation.

Is partly due to the governments mis-
handling Of the food situation.
Nevertheless. If a Conservative government
wished to secure large reduction in expend-
lures and in taxation, it could find plenty in
this report to quote in Justification OF its
action. Even in the agricultural chapter
which. as was to be expected, is by far the
weakest in the pamphlet. some one has
clearly been thinking about the future burden
of responsibility. at least to the extent of
qualifying the expansion Of British agricul-
ture that is aimed at by saying that 1t must
be efficient" and economic" as well as
steady"
If vote-catching is necessary. the Tory
policy compares favorably In honesty and
responsibility with the Socialist.
But is vote-catching necessary? Is it the
best way to power? Has the British democ-
racy sunk so low that 1t will respond only
to bribes? One does not need to have a wide
acquaintance among Tory politicians to know
that their private conversation sounds very
different from the tone of this policy docu-
ment-not inconsistent with it, but with
many of the antiquities removed and with
much that, in the report can only be read
between the lines made emphatic. Can
party that does not think it safe to say in
public what it says in private acquire the
authority to govern the country? This same
ldmeuCdDlc OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES dLllCLS DOtn
major parties at once, for Socialists who will
admit in private that they do not know what
to do next are still publicly confident that
everything is in proper order. while the
Tories, who have at least the beginnings of
policy. will not unveil it.
+ X
Is it so certain that courage would not pay?
There are certain dogmatic statements to
which any assemblage of thinking persons
drawn from all parties and none, would
assent, in private, by large majority So
far from any partys being able to pledge an
increase in the standard of living. the present
level is endangered and can only be main
tained II there Is radical change in the
attitude to work and in the willingness to
give value for money. The level of taxation
must be reduced If the country is ever to
recover its economic residence. The country
cannot afford the distortions produced by the
food subsidies, which would have been re-
duced long ago If it were not for fear Of the
trade unions. The choice before the social
services dncluding the health service) is be-
tween requiring some small payment from
the beneflciaries as means of maintaining
the present value Of the benefits and letting
the whole system disappear in welter of
imitation. No substantial reduction in eco
nomlc controls, which are throttlng the
business of the country. will be possible until
somebody has the courage to let prices rise
and restore moneys power to purchase.
Businessmen Gncluding those who subscribed
to Lord Woolton's Fighting FUND.- will not
deserve their incomes until they are once
again forced to earn them in competition
1t is better to have moderate degree OF
unemployment now, and let it restore respect
for the value of money than retain full
employment as an overriding first priority
and be unable to buy food and raw materials
Everybody knows that these things will
have to be said, and acted upon, before long
perhaps before the general election There
is nothing in them that conflicts with the
fundamental beliefs Of either party. They
are not unreasonable. The only thing wrong
with them is that they are Cor are believed
to be- unpopular and that is why nobody
will say them to the electors And so the
British crisis continues. It is not an eco
nomic crisis that can be solved by new
technical devices. It is not political crisis
that would be in any way improved by a
change OF party. 1t is moral crisis which
will be solved only when the whole British
people are at least brought by events to face
the unpleasant facts of their position in the
world and, as a consequence, to put courage
back into politics. Until the Tories have
been through their own share in this moral
crisis and are ready to speak their mind
regardless of the electoral consequences, to
put them into Office would change nothing
Of any significance