POSITIVE CURE

Northern Advocate, 2 August 1924, Page 5

POSITIVE CURE

UNEMPLOYMENT COMPLAINT. LABOUR PRESCRIPTION. NEW AVENUES OPENED. (Received 9 a.m.) LONDON, July 31. The British Labour Government's unemployment policy was outlined b\ the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Philip Snow.den, in the House of Commons to-day. He claimed that Labour had a positive remedy, but could not •effect a cure in a day.

Mr Snowden said he would welcome the development of the canal system. Ho expressed regret at the fact that the railway companies were not showing much enthusiasm in re-equipping their lines. The difficulty was the companies' duty to their shareholders. If the railways were under national control the position would be entirely different. The Great Western Railway Company was prepared to spend £13,000,000 during the coming winter, continued the Minister. The North Eastern Railway Company was willing to spend £19,000,000, the Midland Railway Company £13,500,000, and the Southern Railway Company £10,000,000. The country was already spending £40,000,000 a year upon roads. The Government had approved a further road programme to cost £13,500,000. Drainage schemes were also under consideration, including the draining of the basin of the Great Ouse. Mr Snowden promised to introduce a bill at an early date to assist electrical development. He said that the Government had decided to subsidise beet sugar manufactured in Britain to the extent of 19s 9d per cwt. This subsidy would continue for 10 years on a diminishing scale. The Government had been assured that if the subsidy were granted six factories would be sturte.l immediately, each of which would employ 500 workers. In order to guard free trade principles the Government would impose an excise duty of 9s 9d. That would be equivalent to a preferential Customs dutv.

J , Mr Lloyd George twitted the Chan- [ cellor with reserving the Labour ' Party's real remedy until after the next I election. He said he expected that the remedy would consist of the abolition of private enterprise and the confiscation of all industries. The proposals on I behalf of the beet sugar industry would leave the industry worse off than i: Lwas before the last Budget.

Sir L. Wlorthington-Evans, Conservative member for Colchester (Essex), said that the works outlined in Mr Snowden's speech would not give another man additional work during the coming winter. The Government was "producing rabbits from a hat."

A motion to reduce the salary of the Minister of Labour was rejected by 254 votes to 204.—A. and N.Z.