TIMES DEMAND UNLIMITED MANDATE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 October 1931, Page 7

TIMES DEMAND UNLIMITED MANDATE.

' British Official Wireless. »■ RUGBY, Oct. 7.

At the beginning of the election campaign in Britain the Prime Minister, Mr. Bamsay MacDonald, has issued an ""Appeal to the Nation" as follows: — "The present National Government was formed in' haste to meet a swiftly .approaching crisis. It stopped borrowing, imposed economy and balanced the ;Budget. World conditions and internal financial weakness, however, made it impossible for the Government to achieve its object. Sterling came ■,off -gold and the country must now go through-a period of recovery and readjustment, during which steps of the utmost importance, nationally and inter- .■ nationally, must be taken to secure stability and avoid a recurrence of the recent troubles. Exceptional Urgency and Conditions "A monetary'policy which will estab-" lish sterling in confidence and authority, international agreements which -will remove some of the most frightful causes of economic misfortunes —like war debts and reparations —from which the whole world now suffers so grievously, plans to change any adverse into a favourable -balance of trade, will have to' be set going without delay. In the background of this work and •studied at every point in connection with it must.be the "question of unemployment, especially in its most wnportanrj; aspect of finding work by the expansion of markets both at home and •abroad. "The Government will have to come •to grips with a great , variety of problems and apply in confidence of general • national support its decisions regarding them.- These are times of exceptional urgency and exceptional conditions which demand exceptional treatment.

Free to Consider Any Proposal "As if is impossible to foresee, in the, changing conditions of to-day, what .may arise, no one can set out a programme of detail on which pledges can be given. The Government must therefore be free to consider -every proposal likely to help, such as tariffs, expansion of exports and contraction of imports, commercial treaties andf mutual economic arrangements with the Dominions. It must teach how the devaluation of money and the economies which' had to be made to balance the Budget affect the lives of our people, and take every step which can be made effective to protect them against exploitation. -It must be made plain, however, that while everything possible will be done to meet hardship, the Budget must not be allowed to slip into deficits. The possibility of Homo and Imperial development in all its aspects must be studied, and the Government is to be comprehensively national and not sectional in the obligations, which it is to keep before ti. • New Spirit of Energy and Hope "In. these days- .of transition and uncertainty we must all pull together and by our co-operation now strive to puc a■ „new" spirit of energy and hope into ■' i our people. While our present conditions last, these things cajnnot be done by political parties fighting partisan battles on platforms and in Parliament. 'But they must not involve a loss of political identity, because the immediate, tasks are temporary and; when they arc finished, will be followed. by normal political activities. "They do mean, however, willing cooperation between all political parties acting together through their representatives and shouldering joint responsibility for discussion, examination and •action." National unity through cooperation of parties-—all parties by . -preference, if that were possible—is as •essential now as it was in August. In August a combination had to be improvised hurriedly both as regards the •Government and. its supporting parties and groups in Parliament. Support Beyond--Shadow of DouDt "Now, w"ith these prospects before us -and «0 many indications of world uncertainty still threatening, it is essential that the nation's support of the Ooverjiment policy should be placed beytfnd a.shadow of doubt. Parliament has to-be endowed with fresh life and mandates, so an election is. unavoidable. The working*of Parliamentary , institutions, of democratic responsibility and of constitutional practice' demands it. "The election, of the result of- whiclv * there must' be no uncertainty, is also* necessary to demonstrate to the whole 4 * ' world the determination of the British "people' to stand by each other in times o*l national difficulty and to support • juxy measures required for- placing /themselves "and their credit in an un;•*Mftilable position. That is the " basis

Policy of Rehabilitating Britain. MacDonahTs Appeal to the Nation. , ■"'-.'•■'■ Received Thursday, 7 p.m. ; LONDON, Oct. 8. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, in the broadcast of his election manifesto, said : ''The dangers are not yet aver. If there is a prospect.of an immediate reversal of the Government's policy confidence will redeclinei the value of the pound will fall, and the country will be again threatened with the danger of inflation involvinglowering the standard of life and far greater cuts. "The necessity of reducing imports might mean some form of prohibition of certain luxuries and it might mean a tariff. The country must give the Government confidence. The must be so composed that nothing could happen during the transition period giving cause for fear developing into increased world nervousness involving other nations as well as Britain in financial panics, social distress and perhaps even revolution. There is no reason for that. The country's financial position is perfectly sound. . The electors' plain duty is to put the nation first." -

of every security which our people have. To See Matter Througn "In August we won the admiration of the world by our instant subordination of party politics to national interest. Let us ' how prove we are determined to see the matter through • until we have brought the country out beyond these cloudy days into clearer and more tranquil times." Manifestos by other party leaders supporting the National Government — Mr. Stanley Baldwin and Sir Herbert Samuel —are expected to be issued tomorrow or. the next day. The first detailed statement regarding Mr. Lloyd GeOrge's attitude will probably be contained in his election address to the constituents of Carnarvon.