from our Liverpool correspondent.
The proposed ront increase for Liverpool corporation housing tenants is yet anothor sign of the gathering Tory offensive. The increases can amount to 14 shillings a wook in some cases, Labour councillors resisted sharply and the date of increases was,actually put back from Docember 4 to January Ist. Popular concern sooms to have’Varicd and disorganised, so much so that a demonstration on the issue was so badly attended to bo called off, This is a harsh roflection on past failures of the left in rocont years. During the dobate the Tories used smear tactics on Councillor Hart, referring to his C.P. background. Councillor McKoowan demanded cheap money for house building, measures for land control and building controls. Showing the serious offect of tho increasos on the standard of living of the workers, Councillor Crooks, noted that in Speke and in Gillnoss, recently increased bus fares had alroady added 12 shillings a weok to the budget, a further 8/6 would bo added by tho rent increases, One might add that in the new conditions of the Tory offensive, it is clear that local and national problems are ever more closely linked and unless the various struggles are generalised the effoct of local reverses can be demoralising on thc workers' movenent.