REDUCED RELIEF RATE

Evening Post, Issue 25, 30 January 1935, Page 11

REDUCED RELIEF RATE

MINISTRY ATTACKED

MR. MACDONALD'S ABSENCE

EJECTIONS FROM GALLERY

Jolted frefß Association—Bj Electric Tel*.

grtpb—CovvrlgbL

LONDON, January 28.

In the House of Commons, in tho course of the debate on a supplementary estimate of £5,000,000 for the Unemployment Assistance Board, a number of members of all parties strongly attacked the. Government, alleging that the new reduced scales of relief in. many cases caused extreme hardship.

Mr. R. J. C. Boothby (C.) said that Mr. MacDonald, the Prime Minister, boasted that he was brought up among Scottish fishermen, but did not raise a finger on their behalf.

Labourites: Where's the Prime Minister? Fetch' him, wherever he is.

Mr. G. Buchanan (Lab.): Mr. MacDonald climbed into wealth and power on tho pence of tho people he is now robbing. Eo is a mountebank. He it worse. Ho is a swine. Ho is a low, ■ dirty cur who ought to be flung out and horsewhipped from public life. Eo is tho head of a Government engaged .in a brutal conspiracy to smash the family life of tho country. He is a

coward because ■he is not present at the debate on the subject.' He may dio honoured in the end, but he will possibly be deservedly cursed by thousands of decent-kindly souls who this winter's night in Scotland .are suffering what nobody can tell;

While Mr. N. Maclean (Lab.) wa3 further attacking the Government, interjections began from the Strangers' Gallery leading to the most prolonged and noisy scenes 'in the House of Commons for some years. Tho interjections included: "Down with ' the National baby-starving Government/' "You arc a cowardly lot of robbers. See if you can live on fifteen bob a week." '

Attendants for somo minutes wero unable to cope with the situation till reinforced. As ,ono interrupter was turned out another ' appeared, till nearly everyone in tho gallery stood and joined in ' the shouting. One woman sa:.g the "Internationale." SHOUTING, STRUGGLING MABS. About 20 persons, mainly young men and women, were carried, struggling from the Strangers' Gallery, which by this time was a shouting, struggling mass of spectators where it'was difficult to distinguish' between guilty: and innocent. Tho demonstration had been expected for several 'hours, so a considerable body of police and attendants were ready when Mr. Maclean's 6peech gave the demonstrators the signal- to begin, and Captain Hudson's voice, replying for the Government, was quickly drowned in the uproar, but ho completed his speech when the gallery was cleared.

It took five or six minutes to eject all interrupters and restore something liko quiet. Threo men and one woman were detained by the House of Commons police till the. House rose. Captain Hudson, replying to the debate, said that it was inevitable that the introduction ..of ' new regulations would lead to some' reductions, but these were necessary, and despite re* ductions in some cases the - relief expenditure as a whole had increased since January and shown a higher average distribution- weekly. The machinery of the new scheme in coma districts was not yet running' properly. The appeal tribunals, soon to operate, would carry out fair and reasonable relief. - • •• ■ , ' .

The debate was adjourned.