BRITISH POLITIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 4 December 1922, Page 5

BRITISH POLITIES

AD DRESS-IN-REPLY o>v Electric 1 eLgraph.-—Copyright.) (Australian it N.Z. Cable Association. 1

LONDON. Dec. 1

The Address-in-Reply was continued. Mr Bonar Lav/said ihe extent to which Britain had become industrialized and the small extent of agricultural population caused far greater-suffering than in other countries. He urged the great possibility of trade development with the Dominions. Nothing could bo*worse 'than to give the impression that there would be no improvement until Central Europe war- pul right. There was a possibility of immense improvement. The remedies proposed by the Labourites would mnlce'Thc ease far worse. He he-_ lieved there was now a real chance of trade improvement. Continuing the Address-In-Reply debate in the House of Commons, Mr Asquith described the Government’s remedial measures as a melancholy instalment towards a solution of the unemployment problem. Until international trade was stabilised, we should continue to be, of all the. nations, among the chief sufferers. Over the whole economic situation of Europe loomed two spectres—reparations and indebtedness. Until these were laid, economic stability could .not he expected. ‘ Mr Bonar Law agreed with Mr Asquith in the main. _ Much had been said about Germany s inability to pay the reparations, bn! ii seemed' to him a curious result of the war that this country, which sacrificed so much to obtain victory, should be the only one almost to pay any indemnity. Continuing the Address-in/Reply rebate Mr Ramsay/Mafcpnnald said the Government’s description of the evil was very bad and for dealing with it were even worse. If as a result of'the war our peculiar position' as a specialised productive worldpower had gone emigration .must be faced, as a great many who had -emigrated were back in this country with all their savings gone and in a much worse state than when they went away., The Government’s ameliorative scheme would absorb -only 120.000 out of a million and a half of unemployed. He hoped the House would support The Labour amendment 'as a vote of censure. The amendment was defeated by oU3 to 172. .