Another lump for Mr.
9th October 1953 from the Tribune Magazine Archive
Topics
PoliticsOrganisations
Co-op Party, Labour Government, Congress, Labour Party, Leeds Co-op Society, Tory Party, Ministry of Food BulletinPeople
Citrine, John Kerr, Cube, Attlee, Bernard Wallace, Lyle, David Maxwell Fyfe, Winston ChurchillLocations
LeedsCube
THE FACTS BEHIND THE NEWS . . . by John Kerr
FIRST PRISONER in the dock this week is Lord Lyle. What was the first thing he did when sugar came off the ration? Why, he put up the price, of course.
Advertisement
Granulated goes up 2s. 5d. a cwt.
(id. a lb.); cube sugar 12s. a cwt. (lid.
alb). But we're entitled to know why, at the same time, he cut the price to the brewers by 4s. 9d. a cwt. and to the cake, sweet and jam manufacturers by 3s. ld. a cwt.
It looks as if Mr. Cube, to help his friends, makes the consumer pay.
B.E.A. boom S ECOND prisoner in the dock is
the character who always claims that nationalisation is inefficient and costly. What can be his defence to the British Electricity Authority Report, published last week and briefly referred to in Tribune? Total surplus in 1952 was over £7 million (making a comfortable £28 million since 1948). And this wasn't at the expense of the consumer. The average price is now lid. a unit—only •25 per cent, above pre-war.
Success lies in efficiency. Since 1948 32 new giant power stations have been built, and production increased by 25 per cent, (against only 10 per cent. for all other industries). Last year alone, £153 million was spent on capital extensions.
"Lord Citrine and his colleagues are doing something with a publiclyowned institution which is comparable with the result achieved in free enterprise." That, coming from the " Daily Express," is praise indeed.
And how ! F UNNIEST publication of the
week: a new booklet called How Conservatives Have Helped The British People, published by the Tory Party.
It includes such a gem as " . .. by fixing Excess Profits Tax at 100 per cent., the profit was taken out of war;" and the explanation that the Trade Disputes Act of 1927 was a measure " . . . to safeguard the rights and liberties of individual trade unionists." The best sixpenn'orth of fiction on the market.
Wrong, Sir David
"THIRD PRISONER in the dock— ". Sir David Maxwell Fyfe. In his recent political broadcast he parroted the new Tory cry, " production has now reached record levels." Easy to do when comparing present figures with last year's. But how about 1951? Latest 1953 figure is for July, when the industrial production index stood at 110. In July two years ago it was 111. For the second quarter of this year it averaged 120 — exactly the figure for the same months of 1951.
No doubt the next few months will show a slight increase over 1951 even the Torie can hardly stop it.
But they can't hide the fact that over the past two years production has remained static.
Production increased every year under the Labour Government.
Howled down T HE anti-Co-op Sunday Express
excelled itself last week when it printed a demand by a Mr. Bernard Wallace, President of the Leeds Co-op, for a politically neutral Co-op movement.
Let me explain that, regardless of politics, anyone can shop at the Co-ops—and help to run them; also, that the Leeds Co-op Society is one of the few not affiliated to the Co-op Party.
But what the Sunday Express didn't tell us about the same " politically neutral " Bernard Wallace is that he is a full-time Tory Party agent in Leeds—and his attempt last year to break the movement's agreement with the Labour Party was derisively howled down by the Co-operative Congress! Good riddance O NE PART of Challenge to Britain which received united support was the pledge to abolish de-rating.
Rightly so, for rate relief to industry is now a mockery.
While Britain's wealthy industries contribute only 4.3 per cent. of the total rates income, the small ordinary domestic consumers with rateable value not exceeding £13 pay 20 per cent.
Compare these figures: in 1948 the brewers spent £1,038,000 on advertising—and only £268,000 in rates; the drugs trade £3,978,000 against £113,000; the motor and cycle industries £2,212,000 against £412,000; and so on throughout industry.
Who can possibly justify this scandalous and ridiculous de-rating Act?
Less food " M ORE FOOD — More Variety." How we're getting that drummed into us by the Tory press and propaganda. And who would deny that shop windows are invitingly full? But 'who's eating more food? In October 1950, March 1953, and July 1953, the bacon ration was the same — five ounces. In 1950 2 per cent. of the rations remained unsold; in March 1953, 9 per cent.; by July, 1953-10 million (18 per cent.) were not taken up.
The Ministry of Food Bulletin a couple of weeks ago gave 1952 consumption in pounds per head of all the main foods. In every group except meat and tea, consumption was down on 1951.
Poultry and fish fell from 30 to 28; dairy products from 54 to 51; oils and fats from 49 to 45; fruit 111 to 105; vegetables 130 to 121.
So even in 1952 high prices were beginning to force - us to eat less.
A pinch
THE well-known Sunday Express
columnist " Crossbencher " recently described Mr. Attlee thus: " . . decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift . . ." Familiar? Should be -- that was a description of the Tory Party in 1936 by Winston Churchill!