THE UNEMPLOYED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14356, 28 October 1908, Page 5

THE UNEMPLOYED

DpATE- IN PARLIAMENT.

MINISTERIAL MOTION- CARRIED',

Press Association—By Telegraph-Copyright

LONDON, October 27.

(Received Oct. 27. at- 11.10 p.m.) Mr Keir Hardies amendment was rejected by 236 votes to 68, and Mr Alden'.s Alinj.slerinli.s-f. motion was carried by 196 votes to 35.

The Speaker lojecled Mr Colliding'* fiscal reform amendment on the ground that it was outside the scope of the Government jnoposals -dealing with Ihe present emergency. This narrowed the debate down to thp question of the adequacy or inadequacy of the Government, proposal.

Mr Ald'?n said he hoped the propwed palliatives were inten-dc-rl to precede real and directive blows at the causcs of unemployment.

A|r Keir JTaidif endeavoured to licliftlei Hie Government's proposals, and raised Liberal protests by remarking that- everybody except. Mr Jolni Burns, who " was an-old maiii of the. sea round' the neck of the Government." knew that- the .present crisis was coming. He. contended, that, emigration; was no longer available. and emphasised the fact, that Ihero were numbers of unemployed, in Canada and elsewhere. 11 <• said 'the policy of dumping our unemployed in the colonies was straining the, loyalty of many of the workers tli-are. He appealed, to the Ciovemment- not- to leave the distribution of the grant to the Local Government Board, -but- to appoint a special committee, the Cabinet, to supervise. ■ lie threatened that if the worst came to the worst bo would go out among- his own people and take the. responsibility for the advice lie igave them as to the right to work. If the unemployed were unprovided for under the law they could- not be asked to obey the lew. / (Received 0?t. 28, at- 0.25 a.m.) Mr Keir Hardie said the country must Be shocked at the Government' 6 inaction. Mr Will Crooks and Mr Ramsay Macdonald attacked the Government, • Mr John Burns vigorously defended the Government, and said that it and not the Distress. Committee'was able to complain about the money demanded for relief work being withheld. The crisis was not as bad as when the Employment Act was -passed. • Accelerating work meant that £5,000,C00 would be expended before March next. The best agencies were better for providing work and ako better acquainted with the deserving than the central body could he. Mr Bums said be was surprised at the Opposition mentioning the system Introduced in 1& to allow a maximum of 10.000 Reservists to go to tho. colonies without- forfeiting their .pensions, and he added that 6300 Were now in the colonies. ' 'Mr Balfour strongly complained of the refusal of a two days' debate. Referring to the unfit 'labour employed on special relief work, he described it as contrary to Free trado principles, inasmuch as it meant 'buying the -worst goods in the dearest market. ■Air Asquitli defended the proposals, and said the Government was giving within its immediate resources the widest ellective relief witli a. minimum risk of demoralisation and humiliation. Tho Ministerial motion was as follows: — "The House welcomes Mr Asquith's statement regarding tho national importance of the problem of unemployment, and approves of the steps by which it is proposed to deal with the matter.'' Mr Keir Hardie's amendment was:— "That, while recognising the importance of Mr Asquith's promise to introduce oarly legislation dealing _ with unemployment on a. permanent basis, and welcoming the promise to administer with more elasticity the existing act and to provide mnrn mousy, this. House is of opinion that the proposals arc quite inadequate to meet the pressing needs of tho unemployed this winter, and the responsibility for the absence of proper machinery for carrying out the existing powers and the general nnpreparedness of tho country to meet the present unemployed crisis is due to the neglect, of the Government to make .provision for a state of affairs which was clearly foreseen."