Bells Are Ringing

All things are the province of the Mother of Parliaments--as honorable members demonstrated once again last week.

The question before the House of Lords: Should those bicycle ice-cream salesmen, known in America as Good Humor men and in Britain as Stop Me and Buy One vendors, be forbidden to jingle their bells as they vend? At almost the same time that the House of Commons soberly debated his 1951 agreement with President Truman regulating U.S. air bases in Britain, Lord Attlee rose to denounce "these instruments of cruelty." "They make a deafening noise," murmured Lord Simonds.

"They keep children awake," cried Lord Balfour of Burleigh. Adjuring their lordships to moderate their indignation. Lord Taylor finally moved a compromise: ban the Good Humor bells before noon and after 7 p.m., and thereby save the country from the worst of it. After two hours and some 23 speeches, the House passed the bill as amended. Grumbled Earl Attlee. author of the welfare state and liberator of India: "Before we assent to these bells, I think we should know a little more."

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