CI2 THE BRITISH APPROACH TO POLITICS

concerns, and has to supervise the schemes which the various
districts have power to make, for limiting output and main-
taining prices,

CONCLUSIONS.

It is now possible to make a few comments on the economic
Departments as a whole. In all of .them, Adam Smith's prophecy
has proved correct; the present time is a "period of society"
when Government economic activity has to be increased, and
the habit of not considering difficulties until they arise has
proved a drawback. Each Department has, tacked on to it,
Boards and Cojnmittees, partly independent, partly under
Government control; the constitution of them has been the result
of a series of compromises with the interests involved—coal-
owners, omnibus companies, electrical undertakings. There has
not been any consideration of the general rules that ought to be
observed, in the public interest, when these great centres of
economic power are formed. Further, the Departments often
reach out a helping hand to those who are faring worst in the
economic struggle. This is natural enough; but it may weaken
the efficiency of private enterprise by creating the belief that the
State will always help the inefficient out of their difficulties.
In general, there are many schemes, but no one line of economic
policy; urgent problems are dealt with, but little is done to prevent
those problems arising.

There is one body which may take on the task of framing an
economic policy. This is the Economic Advisory Council, created
by Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, when he was Prime Minister, in
1930. Mr. MacDonakTs knowledge of politics was comprehensive
rather than precise, and the Council bears his stamp. It is com-
posed of those Cabinet Ministers whose work is specially
connected with economic problems, together with anyone else
whom the Prime Minister thinks suitable. When the list of its
members was first read to the House of Commons, one M.P.
inauired whether old Uncle Tom Cobley had not been forgotten,