THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20215, 18 April 1931, Page 15

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

CENSURE MOTION LOST. THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS. (BRITI3B OFFICIAL W2JtBI<XSB.) (Received April 17th, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, April 16. Exceptional interest was taken in ft censure motion upon the Government moved in the House of Commons tonight by Mr Stanley Baldwin. Leader ' of the Opposition, as a critical division was expected , owing t.o the uncertain attitude of many Liberal members. It was generally expected I i that the motion would be defeated, i but only by a small majority. Mr ? Baldwin the Commons-to declare that owing to the non-fulfilment, of its election pledges- the Government did liot deserve the confidence or • the House. He alleged . that the country had lost faith in the. ment'a ability to deal effectively witu the unemployment problem. _ Mr Baldwin claimed that present lack of confidence was principally due to . the failure to deal with unemployment and the mounting expenditure. When industry needed relief from taxation the Conservatives be- : lieved that the only satisfactory expedient was an appeal to the'country. In reply, the Government's case was put by the recently appointed"' Lord' Privy Seal, Mr Thomas Johnston, - who outlined the . Government s schemes for productive employment now operating. He contended that though unemployment problems'- confronted many great countries ,ftt present, in no other were they being .-no. effectively and vigorously tackled as in Great Britain. The export trade , was suffering .from the; great increase in the productive capacity, pf every ■ industrial land, ai)d in .some trades: they., could only look to irtternati6nalaction. Referring .to the" British hibition.at Buenos Ay res, he said that one firm of manufacturers of agricul-' tiiral machinery would be engaged f° r a whole year ■in ■ following' un 'the enquiries received - at the exhibition. Plans for the Future. As for future measures for usefully absorbing unemployed, Mr Johnstoiff said the GQvernment was determined that riiral . as. well as urban slums would.' be dealt with drastically. He also spoke hopefully of. restoring • prosperity' in the coal areas '• through the production of motor fuel and other J oils ii ; om coal, and said the Government,'which had'been closely examining the subject, expected- shortly to submit definite proposals upon 'it; • : Extended electrification of the railways, and a bifS scheme for improving the telephones, (nibscribera hundreds of miles apart to communicate'os speedily as on local calls, ana further development in "afforestation were -among the Bchemes referred to by Jlr Jolinston. lhe Government's object, he said, was a long range policy to improve the country's economic resources. Uniy in this way could involuntary unemployment be'.' abolished, and only • ' n I this way could the mechanised output,:- the fruits of genius, duration and toil,- become a blessing and not a terror to humanitv ,Mr Johnston pointed put. that unemployment had been,inpiieased by .the dedine in- emigration from -24,179 in 1913 to 15,955 last year. i , ■ Mjr Lloyd George, said that while he -was dissatisfied, with the progress . in dealing , wdth unemployment it would ; be ijnfaii- to-vote against the Govern- ( ment which, had ip February accepted t< the ,proposals to jrevieW the i ( situation. Whep. to vot§ against the. Government they, had > to consider the alternatives and -the

Conservatives' ideas of , remedial measures, including the food taxes and tariffs. The Liberal Party considered the motion in committee, and a majority large enough to defeat it decided to vote for tfie, Government," bo • 'that* it was lost by 303 votes to 251,INTERNATIONAL LOANS. FINANCIAL GROUP'S!' PLANS. (BRITISH OWCIfL WIitBLBSS.) RUGBY, April 16. - It was stated in the House of Gom- . mons to-day that the-'Chancellor of the Exchequer was aware, that proposals for the formation of an International Financial Corporation to make loans Ito -approved' borrowers m yari-ous.-countries had recently;been under . discussion in connexion with the in?-' , oeiidine meeting. of. the Board or In-. teVnational Settleinents, but he finderstoodT ttiat thy'were for the fconwderation of-markets, and-did-riot call for' any notion or intervention on the park of the, British Government. ■ . ... ,