UNEMPLOYMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1935, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT

DEBATE IN THE COMMONS. A LABOUR ATTACK. RUGBY, July 9. The first important’debate on home affairs since the reconstruction of the Ministry under Mr Stanley Baldwin took place in the Commons to-night on a Labour vote of censure of unemployment policy and special areas. Mr A. Greenwood (Labour) argued that the Government was claiming credit for fan improvement in trade for which it was in no way responsible, and had raised hopes it had been unable to satisfy. The Prime Minister (Mr Baldwin) said the policy of the Government had been to create an atmosphere of confidence. He claimed that the Ottawa, agreement and the use of tariff bargaining in bilateral treaties, had made a contribution to the problem. Ho challenged the Opposition to show any country in the world which has made more progress in the last three or four years.

It was the unsettled state of the world as opposed to the apparently settled state at home which gave rise to the fear of some check coniine from an unknown or unexpected qua: tor. Tliat made it all the more necessary to do nothing which would in the least damage the national credit, internal or external.

Mr Baldwin said that expenditure on public works could be justified only if it gave such an incentive to industry as would enable the country to bear the financial burden, and at the same time create such momentum as would maintain the volume of employment when the expenditure ceased. The improvement, so far as it had gone, had touched the depreseed areas too, but the problem still remained the most difficult and obstinate confronting the Government. The Government would shortly have at its disposal relorts from the commissioners for special areas, and he hoped it would be able to act upon their suggestions Tor development and amelioration. Sjr Archibald Sinclair (Liberal) criticised the Government’s fiscal policy and the absence of large constructive proposals to diminish unemployment by the development of national resources.

The debate will be wound up for the Government fty Sir John Simon (Home Secretary). Sty Stafford Cripps (Labour) said the profit boom which the Government called a return to prosperity had done little or nothing to touch the standards of the workers employed or uunemployed. Sir John Simon (Horne Secretary), winding up the debate, said Labour members were the last who had the right to lecture the Government on the handling of the unemployment problem. The censure motion was defeated by 460 votes to 76,