BRITISH UNEMPLOYED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 107, 15 February 1935, Page 5

BRITISH UNEMPLOYED

PRACTICAL SCHEMES WANTED. DEMANDED FROM OPPOSITION. CONSTRUCTIVE PLANS WELCOME (United Press Association—Copyright,) (Received This Day, 12.25 p.m.) LONDON 1 , February 14. Speaking in the House of Commons, on the debaee on unemployment, which arose on the censure motion moved: by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr G. Lansbury), the Prime Minister (Mr J. Ramsay MacDonald) said it would be better if the Opposition, instead of criticising, would co-operate with the Government in devising practical schemes to deal with the unemployment problem. The Government would accept with alacrity any proposals provided they were definitely constructive.

Mr Lansbury, moving the motion, said! that despite the Government’s optimism there was now one-third more people who had been unemplo.vled one year than in 1931. The figures of pauperism had risen from 369 per 10,000 of the populatefn in 1931 to 4.82, while outside the Poor Law Unemployment Insurance there was increased uniemployment of black-coated workers, which added hundreds of thousands to the total. As there were actually 2j millions unemployed there was no ground for the Government’s claim of victory over unemployment. The Government had failed to recognise that the present economic system had broken down. THE MOTION DEFEATED. (Received This Day> 12.25 p.m.) LONDON, February 14. The censure motion was defeated by 374 votes to 68.