UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19941, 30 May 1930, Page 15

UNEMPLOYMENT.

NEW PROBLEM BEING FACED. WORLD CAUSES AFFECT PRICES.

DEBATE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS

(BRITISH OFFICIAL WIHKI.BSB.) (Received May 2?th, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, May 28. Tho debate on unemployment in tho House of Commons was opened by Mr Stanley Baldwin, the Conservative Leader, who declared that anything, less drastic than safeguarding of industries duties would not meet the case. He agreed that high tariffs were a bar to business, but they could hot get those tariffs reduced while the British market was tho dumping ground to which all cheap goods could bo sent. The safeguarding of Home markets was the essential basis for the development of markets within the Empire, and a reduction in foreign tariffs had resulted from bargaining between one protected country and another. Mr Ramsay Mac Donald declared that in countries under Protection the unemployment figures had mounted more rapidly than was the case here. Twelve months ago tho problem was one of Home conditions in relation to normal foreign markots, but that was not the problem to-day. Let them take any industrial country, and it would be found that world causes had knocked the bottom out of prices and every country dependent on its export trade had suffered. He instanced Germany where the unemployment figures had risen from IJOUdOO to 2,700.000 and the United States of America, which a year ago had practically no unemployed and where there were now between five and six million. They were facing a totally new problem, and tho Lord Privy Seal (Mr J. H. Thomas) had done an enormous amount of work to relieve the situation. He detailed some of the schemes put in hand, and asked if they could not, in the face of the special growth of unemployment, undertake emergency measures to tide over the Eeriod, which every authority which ad been consulted had agreed was temporary. As soon as confidence was re-established orders now withheld would be placed, and they were just as likely to have a. period of immediate boom. In the provision of large schemes municipalities were held up sometimes by technical difficulties, and he asked if the Parties in the House of Commons could not join in measures to expedite such work. The municipalities also might be encouraged to do more than at present, and the Government proposed to summon a conference of representatives of municipal authorities. The question of unemployment might well become a subject for co-operative action.

MR BALDWIN'S AMENDMENT DEFEATED. MR MACDONALD APPEALS FOB CO-OPERATION. LONDON, May 28. The debate in the House of Commons on unemployment ended in the defeat of an adverse amendment moved by Mr Stanley Baldwin by 270 votes to 241. Mr Bamsay Mac Donald, in appealing for the co-operation of the Parties to expedite unemployment schemes, emphasised the point that the Government could not join in safeguarding. Sir Oswald Mosloy said that in order to grapple with unemployment it was necessary to have a revolution in the machinery of government. The Government bound itself largely to rationalisation, but this would not be a cure, nor would expansion of exports. The money which the Government was now providing to meet unemployment was scarcely more than that provided in the programme of the late Conservative Govornmont.

MR LLOYD GEORGE'S VIEWS. MANY LIBERALS DO NOT VOTE. (Received May 29th, 7.5 p.m.) 1 LONDON, May 28. Mr Lloyd George (Liberal Leader) congratulated Sir Oswald Mosley on his powerful epeeoh. The Chancellor of the Exchequer need not be afraid about his conversion loan. If the country were engaged in military operations it could raise thousands of millions; indeed, the country was now spending £100,000,000 per year on unemployment. He agreed that the problem should not be treated as a Party matter. Mr Winston Churchill favoured a wisely-extended policy of safeguarding, or tariff for revenue purposes, particularly on the more highly-finished forms of manufacture. The real and permanent hope of industry lay in reconstruction, re-equipment, and rationalisation, which would make the factories more efficient and give a fair chance for export markets. It would be sheer madness to raise £200,000,000 for unemployment without first formulating definite schemes. When the division was taken, Messrs J Maxton. D. Kirkwood, A. FennerBrockway, G. Buchanan, and C. Stephen remained seated. Most of the Liberals aleo abstained from voting. The majority of 29 was just about what had been expected. The Government was never in any sense in danger. During; the debate there was a general agreement that Sir Oswald Mosley's speech was a personal triumph.

AN ALL-NIGHT bittihh*. WILD SCENES WITNESSED. LONDON, May 28. The Houso of Commons rose at eight in the morning after a wild all-night sitting of seventeen hours. The trouble arose out of the discussion as to whether the debate on the Finance Bill should be continued for two hours after midnight, or till 5 a.m. Sir Austen Chamberlain moved to report progress, but Mr Philip Snowden refused, and a noisy discussion proceeded for several hours, Labour mem bers howling down the Conservative speakers, some whistling the Dead March. The closure was moved several times. Mr Snowden, who was accused by the

Conservatives of maintaining a stony silence, retorted: "The only contributions you have made to the debate are insult and buffoonery." Finally the House rose after passing five clauses out of the forty-seven.

FREE RAILWAY TRANSPORT OFFERED TO UNEMPLOYED AT TOKIO. TOKIO, May 29.. With a view to relieving the increasing congestion of unemployed/ at Tofcio, the railway authorities are offering free transport "to those willing to return to their country home towns. HUGE SALE OF HARDWARE. Everything we have is being sacrificed—except our good reputation. Sale prices are phenomenally low, and those who have waited for this announcement will savo a whole heapot money. Our windows are crowded with big bargains. Mason Struthers and Co.. Ltd. ■ _______ "~ 6 Flie international cable news appearing in this issue is published by arrangement with the Australian Press Association and the Sun-Herald News Sarvioa, limited.