The Hawera Star. MONDAY, JUNE 17, 1935.. MR. LLOYD GEORGE’S PLANS

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 17 June 1935, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

MONDAY, JUNE 17, 1935.. MR. LLOYD GEORGE’S PLANS

delivered every evening by 5 o’clock in Hawera, Manaio, Kaupokonui, Otakeho, Oeo. Piharna. Opunake. Eltham, Ngaere. Mangatoki. Kaponga, Awatunn. Te Kiri, Mahoe, Lowgarth. Manutahl, Kakara mea, Alton, Hurleyville. Patea, Whenua kura, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara Ohangai. Meremere, Fraser Road and Ararata

It was not to be expected that Mr. Lloyd George would allow the discouragement of the Government’s rejection of his new deal to divert him from his effort to secure the drastic changes in domestic and foreign policy that he contends are necessary. His programme has been subjected to a barrage of criticism and so far as can be gathered the Government’s opinion of it (upon which a sub-committee of Cabinet is to report) is simply that those proposals judged practicable are an integral part _of politics already in operation. In his latest manifesto refei*ence is made to the “failure of successive Parliaments to deal adequately with social and economic problems,” and it is submitted that support should be forthcoming only for Parliamentary candidates who will insist on definite measures for peace and social justice. The catch, as “The Times” has suggested, _is that generalisations are of little use. The existence of evils is admitted, but there is no reference in the manifesto to specific remedial measures. But perhaps that is part of Mr. * Lloyd George’s Jrategy. When the time comes this non-party manifesto may be converted into an election programme along the lines of the new deal, by means of which the Liberal leader may hope to secure the kind of Government he believes necessary for Great Britain’s salvation. ~ He may assert again his demand for the more effective use of national credit resources to bring the unemployed back into useful work, on th'e principle that it is more desirable to spend money on finding work than on the dole. He may use Sweden’s example to illustrate the effectiveness of a bold public works policy as a means of bringing idle resources back into use, and he may ask, as the “New Statesman and Nation” has asked, whether the existence of some 2,000,000 unemployed is to be regarded as an “act of God,” about which nothing really useful can he done. At any rate the issue of the manifesto seems to presage something more than an attempt to stir the conscience of the nation. If it is to be effective it must have political repercussions, and the movement that it represents must soon take definite shape. Cabinet reconstruction passed over Mr. Lloyd George’s head. But, because the National Government would not have him on his own terms lie may now have abandoned the idea of collaboration and decided to concentrate on a more subtle method of attack. It must be admitted, though, that Mr. Lloyd George’s new deal plans have not the glamour they showed early in the year. He has failed to come far enough from generalities and platitudes toward specific and new methods of rehabilitation of the nation’s prosperity, and there is undoubtedly, after the half-year or so. in which he has had an opportunity to expound his plans publicly, an impression that his new deal is more political than practical.