UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

Hokitika Guardian, 5 December 1929, Page 1

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

NEW BRITISH BILL. [United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.] LONDON, December 4. In the House of Commons, the Rt. Hon. Margaret Bondfield (Minister of Labour) said that the Committee on the Unemployed Insurance Bill regretted that they could not accept an amendment proposing that the State pay the wives of the unemployed ten shillings instead of nine shillings per week. The increase would, she said, cost £825,000. Rt. Hon. John Wheatley (Clydesider and ex-Cahinet Minister, said that if he believed that Miss Bondfield was personally opposed to the amendment for increase, then he would regret the day that women entered public life. Miss Bondfield moved tlie closure of the debate, which was carried by 293 votes to 168 votes. The amendment was then defeated by 229 votes to 28 votes. Rt. Hon. Air Baldwin, together with 50 other Conservatives, and also twenty of the Liberals, did not vote. M iss Jennie Lee then moved to increase the allowance for the children of the unemployed from two shillings to five shillings per week. This increase w6uld cost £4,500,000 per annum, and would affect six hundred thousand children. Miss Lee’s amendment was defeated by 210 votes to 37. Many of the Liberals and Conservatives and dozens of the Labour members abstained from voting in this division.