THE BIG PROBLEM

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 75, 12 March 1930, Page 4

THE BIG PROBLEM

FINDING WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED

DEBATE IN THE COMMONS.

LLOYD GEORGE’S SPEECH

[British Official Wireless.!

Rugby, March 10. This afternoon Mr. Lloyd George raiser! a debate in the. House of .on (he question of unemployment, Added interest was given to this debate by a statement from the Liberal Party headquarters, which, referring to 'the intention to challenge the Government, said: “The period of ignoring this question is now definitely at an end.” Mr. Lloyd George pointed out that tho unemployed figures had increased from 1,100,0<)0 jo over 1,500,000 since Labrun had been in office. We could not get below the present figures unless a bold end definite policy were adopted. Even assuming that all the merits of the tariff issue were on the side of the Conserve, lives, he did not know whether Mr. MacDonald wanted a dissolution, but he advised him not to seek it with a million -and a huff unemployed. The Conservatives’ plan depended on an effective majority. Squaring the dominion was not as easy as squaring Lord Beaverbrook. By scaring him they could not scare the dominions. Even a referendum meant time He pointed out that Britain was lagging behind agriculturally, electrically and in road traffie improvement. TIME FOR SERIOUS REVIEW. Mr. Lloyd George maintained that the time hud come for a very candid and serious review of the whole question, not so much in a • spirit of criticism or censure, but if possible in a spirit of helpfulness, and, if he might call it so, in a spirit of converting the House into a council of state. He thought that the House of Commons ought to shoulder its supreme responsibility in the matter and insist on action being taken. Everyone would admit that the Minister in charge of the unemployment problem had worked hard, but so far as his remedies were concerned ha had taken too narrow limits in the broad view of his responsibilities. He advocated a big scheme of read development as the most useful means of • employing labour.

WQRLD REACTION IN TRADE. The Rt. Hon. J, H. Thomas, replying, admitted that tho unemployment figures wore bad, but the Government was in no way responsible. There was a world reaction in' trade. Germany had 3,258,000 unemployed; Italy had 408,000 wholly and 21,000 partly unemployed; in America one Senator spoko of 6,000,000 iniemployod and another put the figure at 3,000,000. Based on tho same data as our figures, Mr. Thomas believed the American figure would be nearei 6,000,1)00. The real cause of otlr abnormal situation was tho slump in raw material. For the past six months cotton had been falling, with the result that no manufacturer would take the responsibility of giving orders. Compared with twelve jinonths ago, there Was an increase ip Lancashire alone of 146,000 i,neitiployed. What was the state of cotton was equally true of wool. It was also true of silver, He pointed out the repercussion of the drop in the price of silver on the Lancashire cotton trade, which bought raw material on a gold basis and sold mapufaetured articles to countries on the silver standard, with a resulting depreciation of £3O in every £lOOOl Repercussions of the recent Aineritan slump were also being felt here. Wo were feeling the effects of the new Australian tariff.

SCHEMES ALREADY ’SANCTIONED.

Mr. Thomas gave an account of schemes already sanctioned by his department to provide employment, They involved £56,000,000 in developing railways, docks and harbours, watei supplies, electricity and roads. There were factors, however, which gave encouragement. ’He behoved that tho reduction in the bank rate would bo helpful, and he pointed to the better aspect of the shipbuilding industry, which produced lust year 56 per cent, of the world tonnage and showed a decrease of 8000 unemployed for the year. Mr. Thomas referred to a City firm's circular advising people to transfer their money abroad. “I say that any one guilty of that conduct ought himself to leave the country. It would be better without him.” (Cheers-) LLOYD GEORGE’S CHANGE OF TONE. Members of the House of Commons, surprised at the moderation of Mr. Lloyd George’s speech, are asking what has happened to change his tone. There are no signs of relentless attack against tho Liiboiu Government. On the contrary, while urging Mi. Thomas to strong action he pointed out that Britain was not a crumbling nation. We still had flic biggest export trade, the masses of the people were better off Hull) ever, and retail trade was doing well'. As a result the debate fizzled out It is disclosed that he sent a message to a meeting of Liberal members later to dismiss tactics on the Coal Mines Bill to-diiv, saying lie was suffering from a chill,