BRITISH POLITICS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 117, 18 April 1931, Page 9

BRITISH POLITICS

CENSURE MOTION DEFEATED. LIBERALS SUPPORT GOVERNMENT SCHEMES FOR UNEMPLOYMENT. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 16. Exceptional interest was taken in the censure motion upon the Government moved in the House of Commons tonight by tho leader of the Conservative Party, Mr Stanley. Baldwin, as a critical division was expected owing to the uncertain attitude of many Liberal members. The motion was defeated by 305 votes to 251. Mr Baldwin asked the House to declare that, owing to the non-fulfilment of its election pledges the Government did not deserve the confidence of the House. He alleged that the country had lost faith in the Government’s ability to deal effectively with the unemployment problem. In reply tho Government’s case was put by the recently-appointed Lord Privy Seal, Mr Thomas Johnston, who outlined the Government’s schemes for productive employment now operating, and contended that though unemployment problems confronted many great countries at present, in no other were they being so effectively and vigorously tackled. Britain’s export trade was suffering from a. great increase in the productive capacity of every industrial land, and in some trades they could only look to international action. Referring to the British Exhibition at Buenos Aires, Mr Johnston said that one firm of manufacturers of agricultural macl.iinery would be engaged for a whole year in following up the inquiries received at the exhibition. Considerable business bad been done in the sale of heavy machinery, and the business transacted by British motor-car manufacturers had been twice as much as was expected. THE COAL AREAS. As for tho future measures for usefully absorbing the unemployed, lie said that the Government was determined that rural as well as urban slums should be dealt with drastically. He also spoke hopefully of restoring prosperity in the coal areas through the production of motor fuel and other oils from coal, and said that the Government, which had been closely examining the subject, expected shortly to submit definite proposals on these lines. The extended electrification of railways and a big scheme for improving telephones, enabling subscribers hundreds of miles apart to communicate as speedily as on local calls, and a iurther development in afforestation were among the Government schemes referred to by Mr Johnston. The Governnient’s object, he said, was by a long-range policy to improve the country’s economic resources. Only so could involuntary unemployment be abolished, and only so could mechanised output—the fruits of genius, duration, and toil—becoming a blessing and not a terror to humanity. Mr Baldwin said that present lack of confidence in industry was due principally to tho Government’s failure to deal with unemployment and mounting expenditure when industry needed relief from taxation. The Conservatives believed that the only satisfactory expedient was an appeal to the country. Mr Johnston pointed out that unemployment had been increased by the decline in emigration. Mr Lloyd George said that while dissatisfied with the progress in dealing with unemployment it would ho unfair to vote against the Government, which in February accepted the Liberals’ proposals to review the situation. When considering whether to vote against the Government they had to consider the alternatives, qnd the conservative ideas of remedial measures including food taxes and tariffs. The Liberal Party considered Mr Johnston’s speech in the committee room, and a majority large enough to defeat the motion decided to vote for the Government. MEMBER’S BANKRUPTCY. Received April 18, 12.10 a.m. LONDON, April 17. A London Gazette notifies that Lieutenant-Colonel Grant Morden, Unionist member of Parliament for Brentford and Chiswick, has been adjudicated a bankrupt. He his been a member of the House of Commons since 1918.