EVICTIONS BILL.

Misfortune dogs the footsteps of the Government in their Rents Bill policy, and Mr. Clynes provided another example yesterday of political ineptitude, which brought upon his head a most violent attack from Mr. Kirkwood. Having found that it was impossible to pass through the House of Commons the bill placing on landlords the burden of supporting tenants who are unable to pay their rent owing to unemployment, he explained that the Government intended to amend their proposal, and to put the responsibility for rent on parish councils in Scotland and boards of guardians in England. So far as possible this is to be done by administrative action, but amendments are to be introduced into the existing bill by which an order for possession is not to be made for non-payment of rent until the Court is satisfied that the tenant has had a reasonable opportunity of making application to the local poor law authorities, and these authorities have had reasonable time to consider the application.

The idea of throwing this extra burden on the already impoverished poor law authorities raised a storm of protest on the Government benches, which was voiced by Mr. Kirkwood. Parish councils in Scotland, he said, were unable to meet the new burden, and he claimed to have secured a guarantee from the Prime Minister that the charge was to be made a national one. He denounced Mr. Clynes for his pusillanimity, and declared that unless evictions were stopped he would go down to his constituency and put the people back into their houses, even if he went to prison for it. “And Davie Kirkwood in prison,” he declared, “will be a greater menace than Davie Kirkwood on the floor of the House of Commons.” He would have no “jelly fish” policy, and demanded that the Government should redeem their promise. Mr. Clynes endeavoured to pacify his angry follower by explaining that he had not ruled out the State recouping the local authorities for their new burden. He did not, however, say that the Government intended to make the charge a national one and he left the House in a hopelessly bewildered condition as to what the Government really means.

The bill is to be taken again on Monday, but it is apparent that the Clyde members will take a lot of satisfying, and that they will insist on the Government fulfilling the pledges which Mr. Kirkwood asserts they have received.