LAND UTILISATION SCHEME.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20090, 20 November 1930, Page 11

LAND UTILISATION SCHEME.

DEBATE IN THE COMMONS. BILL READ SECOND TIME. 'UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —BT ELECTBIC <' TELEQHAFH— COPTBIOHT.) (Received November *9th, 8.13 p.m.) LONDON, November 19. In the House of Commons, during the debate on the Government's Agiicul tural Land Utilisation Bill, Conservative opponents of the Bill expressed the opinion that it was putting the cart before the horse to get people on small holdings without first protecting the home market. Mr G. B. Lane-Pox (Conservative, Barkston-Oak), who is one of the sporting members of the House, described the Bill as, "By unemployment out of agricultural depression"; but he said he thought it could be better described as "By ignorant extravagance out of election promises." Mr Lloyd George, Leader of the Liberal Party, said the Bill was one after his own heart. The country was get ting top-heavy, and was running into dangers by depending too much on foreign food supplies. Naturally, money would have to be spent; but money spent on local food growing was equally a matter of security as was expenditure on the Army or Navy. Money would be lost; but the State had many ledgers, and Ministers of Health and Labour as well as of the Treasury. Increased food production, and improvement in the ratio of rural to urban population, with restoration of the countryside, would be worth ati effort, even if it could not show a profit on the money invested. The Bill was read a second time by 297 votes to 216. ATTACK ON PARTY ! POLITICS. SOUND ECONOMICS NEEDED. LONDON, November 18. Tlie National Council of Industry and Commerce urges the Government and Opposition to discard party polltics in favour of sound economics. "At present," it says, "the country's prosperity is the politician's plaything. The council observes apprehensively the Government's immediate programme, and with dismay the nomic failure of the Imperial conference. which was inevitable because the Government subordinated economics to politics. It is now ignoring the problems of unemployment and trade recovery, and the former will soon be unmanageable. Britons should hot await a general election, but should force their views on sitting members, demanding prompt non-party action."