" That the nationalisation of public utility services is oestrabie " was the motion proposed Oy thrminaharn unticrioanuates, mertioeis of tne iNewman Joeiety, wnen they met the lairnunitham Latrioac Social Group tor [to seconu time as So Peter's, on Monday. The' C.S.G took the opposition.
Mr. twain, speaking fee the motion, claimed that private property and
pabac ownership are reconcilable. If the essentials, such as minerals, transport, fuel, water, ete„ were controlled by a representative Government, in a short time unjust prohteering and d000m,ain.eering would be struck at the r Mr. Milford claimed that control was the thin end at ate wedge and if it were to take place in this country it would follow in other directions. The more control we get, the nearer we are getting to a totalitarian State.
Miss Williams (Newman Society) pointed out that when utilities are nationalised they wilt be run at a loss for a considerable period ot time; the nation does riot require to make profits and will he in a position to run them: private companies would not be willing to run in such circumstances.
Mr John MacCann challenged us as to whether we were going to. leave public utility services to certain indie vidualg. "Can we trust them ?" he asked, " It is a big risk to take when public utilities are for the welfare of the country We cannot trust these big owners to act in the public good.
. . Surely the public utilities would be better run for the good of the country by nationalisation than by a group of capitalists."
Mr. Jordan (B.C,S.G.) said that "no coterie of plutocrats owned the British railways." Also that under the Ministry of War Transport scheme for Road Haulage it was reported that under nationalisation the running expenses had been nearly doubled.
Miss Harris (Newman Society) said that profits front public utilities should not go into the purses of private people but into the Treasury for ttie good of the people We do not want the nationalisation of everything and of all industry; but we do want the nationalisation of all the utilities.
Mrs. Gardner, although a member of the B.C.S.G., in her zeal for sincerity nointed to the fact that the Royal Commission of 1937 had shown that More than half the country was insufficientty nourished; State control has effected a considerable improvement in the health of the nation.