A THREE-CORNERED FIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 146, 14 March 1908, Page 5

A THREE-CORNERED FIGHT.

v Mr. Ramsay. Maedonald's: amendment- to the Address-in-Roply,, regretting tho ..absence from the' King's Speech of any intention.- to introduce legislation for' the unemployed, was rejected by- only, ,43 votes (195—146), and that division, the.Labour party accepted' as an encouragement.:, The Government ;says it will introduce. ■ no: Bill. Tho of. tho Labour party's Bill, - as described by, Mr. Macdonald, havo already been published. Referring to the. debate on the amendment, -.The Standard" says-.—During the debate the ■ Povornment were raked fore .and aft. Unemployment, is vastly on the increase, but there is no. suggestion of legislation to deal: with it. '•-Socialism is the . remedy"' came the shout from .the. Labour, men. " Tariffißeform is the oure ': insisted; the Unionists.. "You are -botlr wrong,'! 1 retorted the Government; "wo have no scheme df our own,. but do believe us that our hearts are very tender, and that wo are • doing our best."- Whicli is not very consoling to. the man who is hungry. It was a threecornered fight. The Labour men pooh-poohed the Tariff Reformers and scoffed at the Government, with joyous digs at Mr; John Burns, Presidont .of the Local Government Board, and apologist-in-chief for the Ministry., Tho Conservatives attacked • Socialism -and demonstrated the, ineptitude of, the Government. . Tho Govr ofnme'nt.. was'sure that neither Socialism nor Tariff Reform'would benefit tho unemployed. ■ Mr.;, Burns, (president of the. Local Government' Board) oozed optimism. - But somehow tho: optimism did' not ring .true. Mr. Burns avoided getting right in front of the problem under discussion. Besides, why do anything .until the report of the Poor Law Commission -except continue Mr. Long's otherwise expiring Unemployed Act and spend ,£200,U00. a year wherever it' is needed? Then he dangled,the programme of th'e session, old,ago !pensions,'.bettor: housing, care for children, temperance legislation: were those not steps to ohcck unemployment. Hadn't £70,000 been spent .in' buying 13,000 acres in Scotland for afforestation? However, the Government did not intend to ;extend the area of pauperising employment, "'Wo want no more Stato workshops," , said. lie. " I want to concentrate on root remedies,'on bedrock causes, not transient palliatives,".' boomed Mrl. Burns. And tho House gave Mr; Burns permission to "concentrate." . ; ...,.' But..the Government mujority was down to 49. . ... Tho Socialists cheered and "waved -their, arms; " . ! ■ -