LIBERAL ATTACK.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 39, 16 February 1928, Page 7

LIBERAL ATTACK.

ON TORY POLICY. Social And Industrial Hardships. NO AMELIORATION PROPOSED. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) LONDON", February 15. The debate on the Address-in-Reply was resumed yesterday in the House of Commons. Mr. E. A. Harney, K.C. (Lib., South Shields) moved his party's amendment. This expressed regret that the King's Speech did not contain any indication that the Government appreciates the hardships of social and industrial life, or contemplates their amelioration by measures for the development of the national resources, the provision of work for the unemployed, or a solution of the slum problem.

The mover described the policy of the Government as one of "Trust in God and do nothing." Everything else could wait, but young women must have the vtjte. Instead of spending money to relieve unemployment, the Government had gone to the opposite extreme.

Last year the Chancellor of the Exchequer had raided the Road Fund to the extent of £20,000,000, a sum which would have given steady occupation to 130,000 men for a year. The poor law system was breaking down. In the black areas a sum of £50,000,000 out of £150,000,000 was paid from the rates. Unemployment ought to be made a national burden. The Leader of the Liberal party, Mr. Lloyd George, accused the Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, of not having faced the facts about the trade situation, and of not even mentioning agriculture. If Britain's export trade had made the same progress since the war as it did from 1900 to 1913 the present export quantities would be 130 per cent of the 1913 figures. But they were actually only 80 per cent. Before the war Britain advanced from £200,000,000 to £300,000,000 a year to the Dominions, colonies and foreign countries. This came back in the shape of purchases of goods. The United States was now making the loans and taking a corresponding share of the orders. The situation was not irreparable. The first need was for a sort of economic general staff to investigate trade problems as a whole. Industry must be partially relieved from the crippling burden of rates and agricultural production must be increased, because the foodstuffs which could be produced at Home were now one of Britain's largest import items.

Mr. Churchill characterised Mr. Lloyd George's speech as a marshalling of admitted and disquieting facts, and then recommending as a remedy the Liberal- party's recent Yellow Book Qn industry. Throughout the existence of this Government it had contributed to the relief of local burdens to an extent never before witnessed. Moreover, under the heads of old age, widows' and orphans' pensions, educa*tion and health services and housing, the Government had provided £17,000,000 a year, which was not provided when it took office. Regarding the relief of rates everything depended upon the state of the finances at Budget time. The Government had a series of legislative and administrative propositions prepared, but Mr. Churchill said he believed it would be better to wait to operate them until they could be used as a lever, not as a sop.

The amendment was defeated by 310 votes to 140, and the Address-in-Replv was adopted. —(A. and N.Z. and Sydney "Sun.") THE OTTOMAN DEBT. PRESENT POSITION OUTLINED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 15. In the House of Commons Colonel J. Wedgwood (Lab., Newcastle-under-Lyme) asked what was the present position in regard to the negotiations about the Ottoman debt, and in particular as to the payments which were made formerly by Egypt in connection *with the Anglo-French guaranteed loan 1856, and as to the payments allotted to the various succession States of the old Ottoman Empire. The Under-Secretary for - Foreign Affairs, Mr. G. T. Locker-Lampson, said the question of the payment formerly made by Egypt toward the service of the guaranteed loan of 1856 Was being

discussed between a committee appointed the Egyptian Government and Sir Reginald Patterson, representing the British Government.

He understood that negotiations between representatives of the Turkish Government and representatives of the bondholders as regards the Turkish share of the Ottoman debt were bein® conducted in Paris, and that an agree" ment had been reached except as regarded one or two subsidiary points. The method of settlement of the share allotted to Palestine and Iraq was being discussed between those Governments and the Ottoman Debt Council. The share allotted to Italy had already been settled. So far as he was aware no settlement had yet been reached as j regarded the shares allotted to the othesuccession States.