By act of Parliament

Mr. HARRISON-BROADLEY I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a second time."

Vom cita dintr-un proiect legislativ vechi de o suta de ani - exact o suta de ani - pe numele lui COTTAGE HOMES FOR AGED PERSONS BILL.

Da, exista in aceasta lume cel putin o tara-n care proiecte legislative vechi de-o suta de ani se gasesc inca, si se pot consulta cu discutiile lor complete, cu referinte si contra-referinte, cu tot tacimul. Cu totul intimplator e vorba de tara-n care traiesc cetatenii de-i dadeam drept exemplu la articolul Romanul si marea. Sau poate nu chiar atit de intimplator.

Chiar recomand cu toata caldura sursa respectiva, fie si numai pentru instructiva comparatie cu extraordinara reusita a asa-zisei "digitizari" a manuscriselor ramase dupa Eminescu, o fascinanta reusita care-a costat citeva milioane acolo, si care consta in niste poze care nu servesc nimanui la nimic. Doara de-aia finantam din bugetul de stat asa-zise "institute de cercetare".

Members in all parts of the House will, I think, admit that there is a real reason for this question to be brought up at the present time. We have heard a good deal as to the need of cottages in our rural districts. We have heard a good deal of the people from the villages going to the towns. This Bill is intended to assist both aspects of this question.

In 1921, pe 11 Aprilie, niste engleji se intilneau ca sa discute o solutie propusa la una dintre problemele... Romaniei de azi. Este ca promite ?

Ar cam trebui sa promita. Avem avantajul notabil, voluminos si consistent de-a nu ne vedea siliti sa ne gasim singuri, dupa mintea noastra, solutii. Nu trebuie sa asteptam pina cind vre-un inginer roman construieste un model de calculator Felix comparabil cu PC-urile moderne : putem sa le importam gata construite, la niste preturi de nimic, ca-s produse in serie. Nu trebuie sa ne chinuim, cum un domeniu nou si inovativ se chinuie, cu probleme de design si finantare a productiei unor lucruri noi, nemaivazute si-n general neintelese : noi beneficiem direct de economiile de scala rezultate din experimentarile, investitiile si riscurile asumate de altii. Nu trebuie sa asteptam dupa tantalaii neaosi sa se dumireasca ce-i aia un datacenter, care-i diferenta intre un datacenter si o boxa tehnica din subsolul unui bloc de apartamente precum nu suntem siliti sa asteptam pina cind "autoritatile statului" descopera in care gaura se baga mufa de UTP : putem cumpara toate aceste servicii la preturi minime de la furnizori deja experimentati, care-au facut deja greselile, care si-au luat deja invataturile si masurile si au tras deja concluziile.

In toate domeniile tehnicii ne folosim de avantajele astea, ne scaldam in obiecte produse de oameni prea inteligenti pentru noi, produse de munca prea multa pentru noi, fructe ale unor eforturi la care nu suntem capabili si rezultate din riscuri pe care nu le putem gestiona. Si facem asta bineinteles cu dezinvoltura prostului, care n-are altceva de la lumea asta decit asteptari. Pentru ca daca s-a dat atunci sa se mai deie si ce-i aia complexitate, dificultate si cost ?! Ala de ce are ?

In toate domeniile tehnicii ne folosim de avantajele astea, si ne scaldam intr-o mare de obiecte care nu ne ajuta cu nimic, pentru ca nu avem complexitatea intelectuala necesara ca sa le intelegem (apropo de care chestie, stiti explica cum functioneaza un frigider ?). In domeniile inexistente cum ar fi de exemplu filosofia insa ne complacem cu convingere in propria noastra mizerie intelectuala. Nu importam nimic, "redescoperim" noi totul (suntem ca la final de ev mediu pe tema, mergem bine - imprejurare care indica lamurit cam pe unde-am fi daca n-am avea la dispozitie barje si garnituri de trenuri cu marfuri de import pe care nu le stim produce singuri). Asa ca lucrurile care conteaza dispar incet-incet de prin Universitati (asa-zisele noastre Universitati) fiind inlocuite cu chestii precum "teologie ortodoxa". Ca e greu de invatat filosofie, dat fiind ca acolo e nevoie sa muncesti cu capu'. Teologia e mai adecvata abilitatilor trogloditului, dat fiind ca-i cel mult de muncit cu curu', inveti acolo de rost prostiile alora.

E mult de munca, sa inveti o limba straina, sa citesti ce discutau englejii-n Parlament la 1912... Oricum nu avem motive sa-i suspectam c-ar sti ei ce vorbesc, nu-i ca si cum ei au inventat institutia respectiva. Lasa ca ne descurcam noi, oricum stim noi cel mai bine. Pai nu ?

Mai departe,

Mr. C. BATHURST In the absence of the hon. Member for Newmarket (Sir C. Rose), who was to have seconded the Second Reading of this Bill from the other side of the House, I have great pleasure in carrying out the somewhat easy and extremely pleasant task of doing so. I cannot remember any Bill submitted to this House since I have had the honour of being a Member of it with which I feel more heartily in sympathy than this Bill the House is about to consider. I should like to say on behalf of my agricultural friends, both employers and employed, that we feel under a deep debt of obligation to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Pretyman) for having made this subject his own, and for having formulated his ideas in the Bill which we are considering, and which is not only extremely useful but economically sound and eminently practical.

Deci pe scurt suna bine : eminamente practica si economic fezabila, o masura excelenta care ajuta pe toata lumea si alte fraude pioase. Stiti, apropo, ce-s alea fraude pioase ? E atunci cind il laudati pe porcul de Paunescu, de exemplu.

Sa vedem mai departe, ca lucrurile n-au cum ramine asa.

Mr. BOOTH I beg to move as an Amendment to leave out from the word "That" to the end of the Question, in order to add instead thereof the words, "this House, while recognising the importance of the housing question in town and country, refuses to treat the question in a piecemeal fashion, and expresses its desire that the Government should consider the whole question on receipt of the Report of the Departmental Committee on the Incidence of Local Taxation, giving due regard to their responsibilities as custodians of the public Exchequer."

This Amendment, of course, is meant to be in direct conflict with the passage of the Bill through this House at this stage, and I have purposely included in it a reference to the Departmental Committee on the Incidence of Local Taxation, because of the extraordinary Clause in the Bill which seeks to exempt this particular property, which is to become the pet protégé of some indulgent country landlord, from the scope of the Budget.

Jap. Daca va par cam largute citatele, apropo, am a va atrage atentia ca sursa din care citam cintareste fo' 35`000 de cuvinte, deci prescurtez imens. Si-ar chiar fi o idee buna sa consultati sursa originala, pentru ca asa se cladeste cultura : cine merge si citeste alea treizecisicincidemiidecuvinte devine astfel un om mai cult. Iar cine nu merge sa le citeasca pentru ca n-are rost sau are altceva de facut sau din orice alt motiv devine astfel un om mai putin cult. Pentru ca asta-i incultura pina la urma : rezultatul unei alegeri. Alegerea de-a ramine prost.

Da' revenind : onorabilul Booth e clar impotriva masurii cu care-i toata lumea de acord, care-i si eminamente practica si economic fezabila, ar rezolva toate problemele precum si asa mai departe. Ce magar, Booth asta.

Mr. PRETYMAN It is not to be the property of any country landlord in any shape or form.

Mr. BOOTH Special care is sought to be taken by Clause 10 to protect this property from the scope of the Budget. That is clearly so. The Clause says:— "No person shall be assessed or rated to or for any Parliamentary tax or local rate in respect of any land or buildings used exclusively or mainly for the purposes of this Act.

Dupa care se mai inghiontesc ei putin asa, dat fiind ca aparent nu-s tocmai prieteni, si-ajungem direct la miez :

I regard this Bill as another instance of these Imperial Friday doles, and it seems to me it is about the most terrible instance we have yet had, because it is distinctly framed to subsidise low wages. I am against Imperial doles on principle. I am against hon. Members coming forward and appealing for public money to go to their constituencies in the shape of some little relief from some burden or other, but in this case not only is the Imperial Exchequer to be drawn on by these rural areas, but it is done in such a way that the man with decent wages cannot get any benefit, and the people with low wages are to enjoy the entire property.

Clar ? Clar.

Mr. C. BATHURST These cottages are not intended for wage-earners at all.

Mr. BOOTH If they are not intended for people who get any wages, what is the meaning of Clause 2, Sub-section (2), paragraph (c), which says he is not eligible if his annual income exceeds £31 10s>. per annum?

Mr. C. BATHURST That is the limit within which it is possible for an Old Age Pension Committee to award a pension.

Mr. BOOTH The Bill deals with people of sixty-five, whereas old age pensions are not given till seventy. Of course, if I am to have explanations of that kind, I do not think we shall get on with the discussion.

Si iata argumentatia socialistului din toate timpurile : spune o minciuna. Pur si simplu, stiind preabine ca-i o minciuna, el o spune. Daca nu esti atent, daca nu-i nimeni atent, trece de buna si iata inca o victorie pentru partidul prostiei, pentru partidul care cistiga ori de cite ori ratiunea doarme si lenea e la guvernare. Daca esti atent si-i tai minciuna... pai nu-i nici o problema. Nu-i nici o paguba, minciuni se gasesc, aia sa fie problema. Socialistul pur si simplu trece la urmatoarea. N-are de ce sa-si ceara iertare macar, nu percepe nici o nevoie sa make ammends cum zice englezu', sa indrepte lucrurile. El e aici la furat, daca se gaseste ceva bine, daca nu iara bine, mai incearca o tura miine. Nu-i ca si cum ar fi tara lui, ca socialistu' n-are tara, socialistul are strict gura.

The hon. Member opposite proposes that this parish meeting, which usually meets once a year, and which just a few people attend, should undertake the business of building cottages, because the erection of cottages is a business. No more unsuitable proposition could be made than that such work should be entrusted to a parish meeting. If that is really the best that agricultural Members of the House can do I have very little faith in their plans for the rehabilitation of rural life.

In descrierea cetatenilor, adunarea parohiala e un fel de gluma proasta care are loc o data pe an si se tine cu toata seriozitatea campestra la care v-ati astepta de la un satuc pierdut prin Romania contemporana. Ca atare ideea ca asa o alcatuire s-ar ocupa cu managementul in constructii ii repugna, si mai mult decit atit,

How many of them would like to live in a mansion which was built by a parish meeting, which would pass the plans and specifications for it? It is important in this case that the ordinary by-laws relating to building cottages are to be suspended. If these little model cottages advocated by the Front Opposition Bench have to be built in the country districts, surely they should really be models.

The rural authorities have now to adopt model by-laws designed at Whitehall, but when these little show cottages are built the by-laws are to be suspended. These one-storied two-roomed cottages will not be subjected to the ordinary by-laws at all. Why should that be so, when the private owner, the colliery master who builds cottages for the colliers, the farmer who provides cottages for his men, and the go-ahead landlord who meets his responsibilities, have to obey these laws? What is the reason? It is for cheapness. There can be no other motive than cheapness. As a rule, these by-laws are to prevent draughty cottages being built. Surely the old persons over sixty-five years of age should be all the more protected from the east wind, and they are all the more likely to suffer from chronic rheumatism if they inhabit these 1534
cottages which are not built subject to the by-laws.

Pentru ca da, socialistul n-ar trai in rezultatul aplicarii masurilor lui. El n-are tara, el nu legifereaza pentru sine. El pur si simplu planuieste sa extraga, din tezaurul public, din legile tarii, din prostia electorilor, niste beneficii. Pe care sa le cheltuiasca in alta parte. El plinge pe umarul saracilor si-si cumpara masini de o suta de mii de euro pe banii partidului (care, ca si celalalt partid socialist, se scalda-n datorii), el vorbeste despre economii si-si aureste robinetele-n "casa poporului", el este practic vorbind capusa pe care-o vede-n capitalism.

Clause 2 refers to the people who are to be eligible for cottages, and it says they must have lived within the area for twenty years. We have just got rid of that, or at any rate modified it in the Old Age Pensions Act, because it was found to be too harsh to insist upon twenty years' continuous residence. The framers of this Bill want to reimpose the old law of settlement. The idea is that the workman should stay in a village all his life, and should not choose his job or where he should live, and should never get up to that standard of independence which is so nauseous to the authors of the Bill. They want him to be there slaving awry for twenty years before he is to be eligible for this bounty. I think that proposals of that character are antagonistic to the working classes of the country.

Aparent problema libertatii, eliberarii sclavilor, dezlegarii robilor e o chestiune punctuala care s-a petrecut total si definitiv cindva in trecut. Acest punct de vedere e dincolo de naiv : libertatea e intotdeauna o chestiune relativa, si o balanta trebuie neaparat gasita la fiecare moment intre libertate prea multa, in care situatie vita umana sta si se uita la poarta noua incapabila de actiune, si libertate prea putina, in care situatie vita umana n-are productivitate.

Asta-i de fapt punctul de disputa intre cele doua parti, iata ca s-a gasit in citeva paragrafe. Asta dezbat ei : cit de liber sa fie cetateanul mediu. Sa i se ingaduie sa se mute unde doreste sau sa fie obligat sa traiasca unde s-a nascut ? Daca-s slujbe mai bune in alta parte sa poata merge acolo, sau sa ramina infeudat locului pe care se afla ?

I will give hon. Members a case which came under my observation. Mr. Joseph Arch once held a public meeting in a district in North-West Norfolk, and he was putting forward the claim which this Bill professes to put forward for the agricultural labourer, and he was boycotted by the squire and the parson. One old labourer, with whom I had a conversation afterwards, told me he was walking down the street on the day after sitting on the edge of the platform with Joe Arch, and he was insulted by both the clergyman, I regret to say, and the churchwardens. "Well," said the old man, "he hoped they would not press it upon him; he never said a rude word in his life to one better educated than himself, and he did not want to do it that time, and he wanted to avoid oaths or swearing, and if they would kindly drop the subject he would be able to accomplish his purpose." The sons of men like that come into the towns. They are not prepared to submit to what they saw their father submit to, and the result is that the demand for artisans' dwellings in the towns is increased and the artisan has to pay more in consequence.

I-auzi problema-n toata desfasurarea ei completa. Nu-s niste chestiuni chiar atit de indepartate de dezbaterile politice romanesti din memoria imediata. Ia votati putin cu Iliescu, ca asa v-a spus popa si Mircea Badea si doara nu s-or apuca acuma sa va minteasca "domnii" astia. Hm ?

Tot ce vreau sa spun cu acest articol este ca nu suntem noi pe lume, ca problemele noastre nu sunt inventiile noastre, si ca studiul istoriei - al istoriei adevarate, lectura surselor - este cea mai buna investitie pe care-o poate face fiecare.