OPTIMISTIC VIEWS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 30 April 1934, Page 5

OPTIMISTIC VIEWS

ON NATIONAL RECOVERY SEVENTEEN ACHIEVEMENTS OUTLINED BY MR RUNCIMAN (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, 28th April. Mr W. Runciman, President of the Board of Trade, expressed optimistic views on national recovery in a speech at Cardiff. He claimed for the National Government a measure of credit for seventeen achievements. These were, balancing the Budget; a remission oi income tax; the repayment of millions in the unemployment insurance fund ; the restoration of economy cuts to the unemployed ; the saving of about £40,000,000 irr annual interest charges by conversion; helping industrial organisations and local authorities by cheapening money (which is now available at a lower rate than for two generations); the employment of nearly 700,000 moro people ; trade agreements; the lowering of tariffs in foreign markets (nine signed, seven- more being negotiated); the steady rise in industrial securities, and the reappearance of dividends; the improvement in the iron and steel trade, and the slight improvement in coal (mainly in the north); the passing of an Act stimulating the production of motor spirit from coal and other indigenous products; legislation helping agriculture, and bold experiments in organised marketing, and the passing of the greatest town and country planning Act in history; more had been done toward re-housing than any previous Government had achieved; the opening of the greatest crusade against thes lums ever attempted in any country; and a great piece of constmctive social reform, namely, the Unemployment Insurance Bill, was about to be made law. Referring to shipping, he said that if the Government was going to assist, its help should be not only for the shipowners' but for tile officers and crew.