LABOUR IN OFFICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20332, 13 August 1929, Page 9

LABOUR IN OFFICE.

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

MR. MacDONALD'S SPEECH.

NON-COMMITTAL TERMS

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

LONDON, July 12.

.At the opening of the jiew Parliament five commissioners supplied the place of the King and Queen and His Majesty's speech was read by the Lord Chancellor. And for audience, instead of a throng in red robes and miniver, instead of vivid uniforms and orders, rich dresses and sparkling jewels, there were merely half a hundred members of the House of Lords in prosaic morning clothes. The .uncovered thrones were almost the only sign that the sitting was not one of ordinary routine.

By long tradition, uniform or Court dress is worn by the mover and seconder of the Address of Thanks for the Gracious Speech, but that is a picturesque habit apparently doomed, under the new Administration, to be lost. At all events, neither Mr. Snell nor Mr. C. H. Wilson varied his attire. But both of them deserved the congratulations that Mr. Baldwin tendered on their speeches. Mr. Baldwin's speech showed no desire to mako matters awkward for the new Government, yet had just the right touch of authority to remind them they are not unchallenged masters of the House. "The King's Speech might really be summarised into the paragraph: 'My Ministers arc going to think,' " suggested Mr. Baldwin; nevertheless, he insisted that Mr. Mac Donald should extend the cryptic headlines in it into some definite news.

Unemployment and Peace.

The Prime Minister showed in his first sentences that he fully accepted the consequences of leading a minority Government. Ho appealed to all parties to see how far the House could be mado a Council of State rather than an arena of battle. Its two dominating problems would be unemployment and peace. The former would be tackled by a policy of stimulating trade, raising the standard of living and creating confidence in the fair treatment of all sections engaged in industry. Tho latter depended upon a better understanding with the United States, which both nations had the desire to create. His conversations with General Dawes had been purely preliminary and explanatory, but his general aim was to build a disarmament policy upon that almost universally-accepted instrument the Kellogg Pact. The only detail ho could give was his intention to seek the co-operation of other naval Towers, which a preliminary understanding with the United States would not obstruct, but invite.

As for international debts, the Young Plan was now being examined by the departments concerned, and would be followed by a conference of the interested Powers. He could only say at the moment that the Government would go back on r.o contracts, but in any future arrangements would remember that the British peoplo were bearing more than their fair share of burdens and had been signally generous to their Allies.

'Must business interests cannot be sacrificed," lie exclaimed in answer to dubious Opposition murmurs—a sentiment which roused sonic pointed cheers. They were renewed when ho confirmed the conditions attaching to the renewal of relations with Russia, and appealed to those sections of Indian opinion which had hitherto held aloof to co-operate in the work of the Joint Commission, behind which was tile approval of all British parties. Safeguarding ol Industries.

Passing to domestic policy, Mr. MacDonald declared that industry had no grounds for uncertainty, as some (unspecified) critics alleged. The safeguarding procedure would be treated as a dead letter. Existing duties would not be renewed, and might be repealed, although iydustiial and financial reactions would be taken into account. The report of the Safeguarding Committee on the wool industry would be published, but not acted upon. Casting an eye toward a grimlysmiling Mr. Snowden, he added that there were somo duties which could be dealt with only in a Budget. His forecast of treatment of the coal industry was less clear. Tory legislation had failed to lift it out of disorganisation. The hours question could not be long delayed. Nevertheless, account must be taken of the economic effect of any and every change, and the Government were striving to secure a generally acceptable policy. Meanwhile there would, be inquiry into the cotton industry, and the commission for inquiring into the iron and steel industry was nearly ready. Finally, he had a word of comment on the» promise of yet another inquiry into electoral reform.

The Times' Comments. "The moderation of the King's Speech as a whole was in accordance with Liberal and Conservative expectations," says the Times Parliamentary correspondent, "but it came as a sore disappointment fo some of the back-bench Labour members, who expected something more exciting. They were complaining that the Labour Government's slogan is now 'Socialism not in cur lifetime,' but there will be 110 overt sign of their restlessness duiing tlie debate on the Address. On one thing all the threo parties seem to bo agreed tlu>f, nothing must lie (lonc ,0 ( '" ,ban ' nss the new Government during the few weeks (bat remain until tho summer holidays, And there is n feverish desire to discover subjeiU for discussion which cannot possiblv lead to n Government defeat. The Oovet ninent has recognised this feeling by its decision to postpone everything until the autumn at the earliest."