BRITAIN’S WORKLESS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 69, 20 February 1931, Page 7

BRITAIN’S WORKLESS.

PROGRESS OF INSURANCE BILL. LONDON, Feb. 19. In the House of Commons to-day, in connection with the debate on the second reading of the Unemployment Bill, Air Lloyd George answered the charge concerning the effect of his recent speech dealing with finance. He reminded Mr Winston Churchill that not even the joint effect of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and himself had reduced securities as low as they were when Mr Churchill was in office. They were higher even now than when he left office. He- wondered why Mr Churchill had made a speech whieh was entirely irrelevant to trie bill, with the exception of a few phrases tacked to the end to give it an air of statesmanship. It was an excellent comiq turn.

Mr Jack Jones (Labour), combating the Opposition statements that there was no money in the country, referred to the speedy success of the Indian loan.

Sir Arthur Stecl-Maitland (Conservative) said that unemployment was still increasing despite Mr Philip Snowden’s warning of the gravity of the financial situation. The bill would commit them to an uncontrolled additional £20,000,000 in ordinary benefits and from £17,000,000 to £20,000.000 in transitional benefits. If Mr Snowden did not balance his Budget, the blow to British credit would intensify the hardship by reactions upon trade. If he balanced the Budget, it must be by means of fresh taxation, which Mr Snowden admitted industry was not able to bear. The only way was a reduction of misplaced expenditure. A considerable proportion of unemployment insurance expenditure was not justified.