LACK OF WORK

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 42, 18 February 1921, Page 7

LACK OF WORK

•UNEMPLOYMENT IN ■ ENGLAND A GRAVE SITUATION DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT. (UNITED PpSS A6BOCIATIO!*.—COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN - MEW ZtAUND CABLE ASSOCUTI6N.) (Received February 18, 9 a.m.) LONDON, 16th February. In the House of Commons Mr. J. R. Clynes (Leader of the Labour Party), in moviiig the amendment to the Address-in-Repiy, said that the gravity of the labour situation was staggering. Unemployment was worse than in December, and Parliament was faced with the -declaration that terrible as it was nothing could be done by legislation to make it better. This ■was a. most callous cancellation of solemn public pledges. The Labour Party's de-. mand was for work or for adequate majnr teyance. The hint that there was to be some extension of national insurance was insufficient. The situation was so serious that it-could not be dealt with properly by means of insurance alone. Mr. Clynes declared that the Labour Party was «in favour of refusing doles to either men or women who refused to do appropriate work when it was pro"vided. The party did not support*shirkers. e In view' of the failure of the employers to Cud remunerative and productive work it was the., duty of the Government to do so. EXTENSION' OF BENEFITS. Mr.. T.''J.'M'Narnara (Minister for Labour) said th|it, although .it was necessary to alleviate the hardship arising from unemployment, the Governmerit also had a far-reaching duty' to re-estab-lish British industry,- and thus bring about permanent prosperity. The Government's policy had been, to see that relief work was useful and •■ productive. A-scheme costing 10.].- millions in connection with roads was now giving em-' ptoyment to 35,000 extra men. The ' Ministry.'of Health's scheme for laying out building sites, at a cost of five millions, was employing others. Altogether productive schemes were finding employment for seventy thousand. Referring to the amendment to the Unemployment Act. he said that J>he contribution would be raised from lOd to Is lfd,' employer and employed paying an extra penny each to the State balance. The tineni: plpyment benefit per man would ]be.Jncreased from iss to. l8s; women will receive 15s, boys 9s'Bd, girls 7s 6d.' Exservice men will continue to receive 20s.

TROUBLE DUE TO. WORKERS'

MISTRUST,

The later speakers were largely from the Labour side. Mr. G. N. Barnes 1, in a solid speech from the cross-benches, criticised Mr. Clynes's reference to Russia, saying that Labour was hugging a delusion if it thought that .anything could be got out of the resumption of- trade with Russia! He. asked Mr. Clynesto be more explicit regarding the workers' light to adequate maintenance. It was essential not to lessen the incentive to work. ■ Something might be done by the State making advances to employers who would be willing to keep on their workmen if they were assisted over the-tem-porary difficulty. During 1920 27 million days' labour was lost owing to strikes. Moat of the trouble was diia to the workers'' mistrust. ' ~: MUST BE AN ATMOSPHERE OF GOODWILL. Mr." V. Hartshbrii (Labour) drew attention to the growing unemployment in the mining industry. He urged that when the Government was arranging the reparations agreement with. Germany it should remember the way the workers had been affected. Mr. G. Roberts (Labour) said: "We will never get unetaplovaient within manageable limits until we resume trade with foreign matkets, and . this is impossible until the employers and the workmen get together in an atmosphere of goodwill." • .THE ANSWER TO A QUESTION. Mr. T. J. M'Namara said the unemployed ex-service men received the pound weekly. The refusal of the building trade unions to absorb fifty thousand ■was costing the country £50,000 weekly. The debate was adjourned. '.