STATE OF INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 242, 9 July 1938, Page 12

STATE OF INDUSTRY

Labour Measures Defended

“NO SERIOUS CRITICISM”

Conditions existing in industry to-day were compared with those of the depression years by the Minister of Mines, Hou. P. C. Webb, during the Address-in-Reply debate in the Hous** of Representatives yesterday. Not one member of the Opposition, he said, bad seriously criticised the legislation of the present Government, nor had any of them suggested they, would repeal any of the measures for which it had been responsible. "I do not think that members on the Opposition benches subscribe to much of the stuff that has been read out in the House during this debate,” said -Mr. Webb, "but at the sarnie time it. would . be better if they were to stand up and denounce their supporters capable of such dastardly work. "It is true that the Government is spending a lot of money on public works,” Mr. Webb continued, "but it is equally true that the demand for this expenditure is coming not only from supporters of the Government but also from some of Hie most conservative people in the country. The lack of vision under the previous Administration was responsible for the crucifixion of Hie ambitions of thousands of young people in this country. Now we have a Labour Government in office and wish to build houses we have no skilled labour. That is a legacy from the previous Government." Mr. 'Webb said there was not a business man who was not better off now than lie was before the Government came into office. The same stale of affairs applied to the farmers and the workers. As a result of the Government’s policy there were 16,000 more shop assistants employed as well as 25.000 more workers in factories. At Hie moment it was difficult for the industries of the country to obtain the young men and young women they required. "It behoves the opponents of the Government to say in the House what they are sirying in the country, but they never do so,” said Mr. Webb. “Wo want tlie members of the Opposition to fight us on our legislation, which they oppose but never have the political courage to divide the Ilbuso on.”,