HINDERING EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 73, 27 March 1931, Page 8

HINDERING EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

The Leader of the Labour Party has made more than one attempt 1.0 thrust on the Government the responsibility for delaying the passage of earthquake legislation. "Introduce the earthquake measures (he has said) and we will pass them without delay." But his offer of assistance does not. extend to an agreement to raise the blockade against the economic proposals now before ilic House. The public arc not so simple as to be misled by such dissembling. If Labour is really anxious to help it can do so, as the Prime Minister has pointed out, by ending its stonewall. It is not asked to surrender its right to criticise the Finance Bill in every detail. It has had every opportunity of doing so already. All that it is asked to do is to confine itself "to criticism which is really criticism, to eliminate time-wasting talk, and deal with business in a businesslike way. But Labour will not accept this reasonable proposal. It will hold up the Finance Bill as long as it can do so, though the earthquake business must wait in the meantime, unless the Prime Minister will surrender to the Labour attack and accept Labour dictation on the business to be dealt with. Whatever the Leader of the Labour Party may say, it will be perfectly clear to the country that it is his party which is hindering the passage of relief measures.