BRITAIN'S UNEMPLOYED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20851, 18 April 1931, Page 11

BRITAIN'S UNEMPLOYED.

CENSURE MOTION MOVED.

ATTACK BY CONSERVATIVES.

LIBERALS SAVE LABOUR. GOVERNMENT POLICY STATED. By Telegraph—Presß Association—Copyright. (Received April 17, fi.45 p.m.) British Wireless. RUGBY, April Ifi. Exceptional interest was taken in the censure motion against the Government moved in the House of Commons this evening by the Leader of the Conservatives, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, as a critical division was expected. Owing to the uncertain attitude of many of the Liberal members it was generally anticipated that the motion would be defeated, but only by a narrow majority. Actually, the motion was lost by 305 votes to 251.

Mr. Baldwin asked the House to declare that owing to the non-fulfilment of its election pledges the Government did not deserve its confidence. He alleged that the country had lost faith in the Government's ability to deal effectively with the unemployment problem. The present lack of confidence in industry was principally due to the failure to deal with unemployment, and to the mounting expenditure, when industry needed relief from taxation. The Conservatives believed that the only satisfactory expedient was an appeal to the country. Schemes for Unemployment.

In reply the Government's case was put by the recently-appointed Lord Privy Seal, Mr. T. Johnston, who outlined the Government's schemes for productive employment now in operation. He contended that though unemployment problems confronted many great countries at present, in no other country were they being so effectively and vigorously tackled. The export trade was suffering from a great increase in the productive capacity of every industrial land. * In some trades they could only look to international action.

Referring to the British Empire Trade Exhibition at Buenos Aires, Mr. Johnston said one firm of manufacturers of agricultural machinery would be engaged for a whole year in following up the inquiries received at the exhibition.

As for future measures of usefully absorbing the unemployed the Minister said the Government was determined that rural as well as urban slums t< should be dealt with drastically. He also spoke hopefully of restoring prosperity in the coal-mining areas through the production of motorfuel and other oils from coal, and said the Government, which had been closely examining the subject, expected shortly to submit definite proposals in that connection. Railway and Telephone Extensions. The extended electrification of railways and a big scheme for improving telephones to enable subscribers hundreds of miles apart to communicate as speedily as on local calls, and a further development in afforestation were among the Government's schemes referred to by Mr. Johnston. The Government's object, he said, was by a long-range policy to improve the country's economic resources. Only so could involuntary unemployment be abolished and only so could mechanised output and the fruits of genius and toil become a blessing and not a terror to humanity. Mr. Johnston added that unemployment had increased by the decline in emigration from 24,179 in 1913 to 15,955 last year.

Mr. Lloyd George said that while he was dissatisfied with the progress made in dealing with unemployment, it would be unfair to vote against the Government, which, in February, had accepted the Liberals' proposals to review the situation. When considering whether to vote against the Government, they had to consider alternatives, and the Conservatives' ideas of remedial measures included food taxes and tariffs.

After Mr. Johnston's speech the Liberal Party considered it in the committee room and a majority large enough" to defeat the censure motion decided to vote for the Government. v