LABOUR DISSENSIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1929, Page 7

LABOUR DISSENSIONS

CLYDESIDERS TO REVOLT

GOVT. POLICY INADEQUATE (By Cable—Press Assn—Copyright.) LONDON, December 2. For some days there have been rumours of trouble between the official Labourites and five rebel Clydeside members of the House of Commons. This matter was discussed at a Labour demonstration at Glasgow on Sunday evening, at which Mr. Maxton, M.P., and some other Members concerned attended. Mr. Maxton, in his speech, showed that the rumours were trustworthy. He said: The crime that the Clydesiders are committing is that of voicing the crying needs of the people. We .have refrained from speaking with freedom thus far, out of loyalty to the Government, but the position would be humorous if Messrs. Wheatley, Maxton, Kirkwood, Stephen and Buchanan were to be expelled by the votes of Lord Parmoor and Commander Kenworthy. Mr. Maxton added that he had been asked by the Leaders of the Labour Party not only to stop further talk of this; description, but that he should offer a public apology on behalf of the Clydeside Group. He concluded: “If I am to make a choice between supporting the Cabinet and the unemployed, I am standing by the unemployed.” A meeting was held at Dumbarton, at which Mr. Kirkwood attended. The meeting passed a vote of confidence in Mr. Kirkwood, despite a letter from the National Labour Party, complaining of the speech that was made by Mr Kirkwood on November 16.

GOVERNMENT ANXIETY. LONDON, December 2. The “Daily Chronicle” says: A party of economists and of leaders of industry will lunch with Mr J. Ramsay MacDonald at Downing Street today, and they will discuss palliatives for unemployment. There is growing anxiety, and even alarm, on the part of the Government at the ever-mount-ing figures, and at. the apparent failure of J. H. Thomas’s policy. Some of the Ministers desire outside help to be called in, and Mr Thomas has already been in consultation with industrialists. Mr MacDonald is now taking a hand. He apparently has in mind the establishment of an Advisory Committee of Industry, similar to the Cabinet Committee of Civil Research which Mr Baldwin set up. Since June 17, the unemployment in Britain had risen from a total of 1,122,713 persons to 1,273,500, and the figures are likely to be over one million three hundred thousand by January. If things drift much longer, the Government will find that public opinion will be difficult to control.