UNEMPLOYED IN BRITAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19187, 28 November 1925, Page 11

UNEMPLOYED IN BRITAIN.

CRITICISM OF MINISTRY. LABOUR'S CENSURE MOTION. REJECTION BY BIG MAJORITY. By Telegraph.—Preaa Association.—Copyright. (Received 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. Nov. 26. The Labour Party's motion of censure against the Government was submitted in the House of Commons to-day by Mr. T, Shaw, on behalf of Mr. J. R. Clynes, who was absent owing to illness. The motion expressed regret at the Ministry's continued failure to deal adequately with the question of unemployment, and alleged that discrimination was being shown in the payment of relief. Mr. Shaw complained that the figures relating to the number of unemployed were under-stated. There were at present, he said, at least 1,250,000 persons idle. He taunted the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Churchill, with saying that his Budget was a cornucopia, overflowing with good things. The workers, however, did not get enough from it to bait a mouse trap with. The position of the unemployed, said Mr. Shaw, was rapidly growing worse. Mr. Lloyd George said that many people were of the opinion that the trade j recovery which was expected next year j would absorb most of the unemployed, j If this expectation was based on a sound | foundation, it would be a mistake to | embark on great relief schemes. If, | however, the recovery was slow it would j be desirable to introduce schemes to save i the country from the peril of the con- ' tinued idleness of thousands of young j men. The Minister for Labour, Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland, in replying, said that he had never seen a bigger mare's nest produced by a number of persons who were actuated by the most excellent intentions. The Oppositionists, whose generosity ran away with their heads, would, ! if they had their way, bring about a thinly-camouflaged system of poor relief. There unquestionably was a distinct improvement in trade, and the foreign outlook was brighter. It was futile to condemn the Ministry for an evil which prevailed throughout the world. Continuing, Sir Arthur said that the better outlook for industries, coupled with good crops abroad, should help the shipping trade. The new Safeguarding of Industries Act should also assist in improving the situation. Captain W. Brass (Conservative) urged that extensive credits should be made for migration to the Dominions. Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald, Leader of the Labour Party, deprecated the harmful impression that was being created nbroad by a false description of the " dole." The Ministry had not seriously tackled the twin problems of trade and unemployment.

The motion was rejected by 322 votes to 133.