Unemployed Army Does Not Exist

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 41, 18 February 1939, Page 5

Unemployed Army Does Not Exist

British Labour Minister Resents Labour Attack

CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS MADE (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Feb. 15. A debate on unemployment was raised in the House of Commons on a Labour resolution, moved by Mr. A. Greenwood, which regretted tho continued failure of the Government either to produce definite plans for tho provision of work and wages under the present system or to initiate a policy which recognised that tho problem could only be solved by the application of Socialist principles. In calling upon the Government to advance proposals to meet tho situation, he reviewed the position in the shipbuilding, cotton, agriculture and other industries, which were in a depressed condition, and contrasted this fact with the assertion in the memorandum of the Royal Economic Society that the increase in physical output per operative in the last five years had amounted to 27 per cent, and, in the case of the engineering industry, to 57 per cent. He urged the need of great public schemes of land drainage and development, roads and transport, as well as work in connection with the projection of the civil population in time of war. The Minister of Labour, Mr. Ernest Brown, said that, although there was no difference in the country about the gravity of some aspects of the problem, it could not bo stated in tho terms Mr. Greenwood had used.

He denied the existence of wliat had been described as a standing army of 2,000,000 unemployed. Actually when the next count was taken the figures revealed would show the total was not 2,000,000. Of the total unemployed at the last count on November 5 72 per cent, had been out of work for less than six weeks. Tho overwhelming majority was not therefore a “standing army.’ Grants for public works last year amounted to £300,000,000. There had been a change in the number of long-term unemployed, which must bo considered gratifying and the constructive work done by the Government was having its effect in that they were dealing now with a smaller number of long-term unemployed than for years. He reviewed tho work of the Government training and expressed the hope that its success would solve the problem of long-term unemployment, namely, lack of training. There were 20 residential instructional centres and two non-residential. At any given time there 22,000 in the residential and 4000 in non-residential centres.

Mr. Brown proceeded to discuss opportunities for employment in the home defence programme, including the provision at tho expense of £20,000,000 of a vast amount of constructive work in strengthening basements and the provision of domestic and communal shelters. He claimed the Government had made great efforts to set up new industries, but a live policy of allaying tension at home and abroad and securing peace must be the surest way of providing more employment for the people. Major Lloyd George urged the necessity of measures for reviving export trade and advocated full inquiries into the conditions of agriculture. Air. Anthony Eden referred with ap--proval to the recent declarations by Mr. Oliver Stanley and Mr. Hudson in reference the new *form of competition abroad which had to be met. If all nations would join in putting into force the van Zeeland Report, there would be a great improvement, but unfortunately some nations were not yet convinced of that. Ho recommended consideration c.f the construction of camps, which he believed would make an appeal to the younger unemployed and drew attention to the success attending such development in the United States.

Ho also advocated the extension to other areas of schemes such as those already put into operation in special areas and said he saw no reason why Britain could not havo its own fouryear plan comprising the construction of camps, amenity schemes and special housing schemes. The House defeated by 334 votes to 14G the resolution moved by Air. Arthur Greenwood regretting the “continued failure of the Government either to produce definite plans for tho provision of work and wages under the present system or to initiate a policy which recognised that the problem could only be solved by the application of Socialist principles.”