Show NEWS REVIEW Laborites Keep Po Power er Ask Oil Coal Ration LABOR TEST Clean Slate In Great Britain the Labor party bad been worried over the outcome of the election by-election In the southern town of Gravesend Richard Acland a rich baronet I was carrying the Labor party's banner against Frank Taylor an ex- ex furnace stoker the Conservative candidate A seat In parliament was not Dot the only thing at stake The election was of major importance as a test of strength between the two parties It was a hard fought battle and Acland the Laborite was elected to Parliament by a majority of 1675 votes votes votes-a a clear cut defeat for forthe forthe forthe the Conservatives The British people the Labor party announced retained their confidence in their I government Nevertheless the vote 1675 margin margin margin mar mar- gin of victory was considerably smaller than the vote Labor party margin that had been piled up in the same district In 1945 19 Labor was still In the drivers driver's seat but jut clearly had lost something of its ts original strength However the party had kept Its slate clean It had lad not lost a single election by-election since it first was swept into power Perhaps one reason for the Labor party's continued popularity was that hat despite all else it was doing a good job of distributing equally what food and other goods were available in Britain The food rations rations rations ra ra- ra- ra of the poorer people were approximately approximately approximately ap ap- ap- ap proximately the same as those of the rich and that fact continued to carry a lot of weight with the mass of voters OIL RATION Inflation Anti-Inflation When President Truman In his celebrated 10 points against Inflation inflation inflation tion address to congress asked for limited authority to impose ration and price controls on basic commodities commodities commodities com com- it was taken for granted that they were food commodities alone First indication that this might not be a correct interpretation of Mr Truman's proposal came when the department of interior asked congress for power to fix price controls controls controls con con- and rationing on coal and oil as part of the Inflation anti pro pro- gram Oscar L. L Chapman undersecretary undersecretary tary of the interior told the house banking and currency committee that grave shortages and price advances advances advances ad ad- vances were threatened in the two basic fuels There was no way of telling he said whether such controls actually would have to be Imposed but he insisted that the government should have authority to do so just in case It n is not probable that congress will give the government power to control oil and coal but the incident incident incident inci inci- dent serves to reflect the current point of view of the administration that a return to wartime rationing and price controls is the quickest and most effective way to buck in- in in in- President Truman disclosed the policy first In his speech at the openIng openIng opening open- open Ing of the special session of con con- gress The Interior departments department's request request request re re- re- re quest for control of coal and oil probably was a planned follow |