BASIC TRADES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16797, 9 November 1928, Page 13

BASIC TRADES

SEARCH FOR RELIEF UNEMPLOYMENT ' PROBLEM lEloe. Tel. Copyright— United Press Assn.l (Australian Press Assn.—United Serviced (Received Nov. 9. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. ,8. In the House of .Commons, during the debate on unemployment, Air. W. Runeiman stated that all the Ministerial assurances that had times in trade, were passing had been falsified. Safeguarding would not bring relief to the basic trades. The gravest and greatest problem was the position of the coal, cotton and woo! 1 varies. Unless we found hot ter ways of using the coal there was no hope for many parts of the coalfields, and with regard to the cotton trade the crisis was by no means past. Poverty was becoming chronic in parts of Lancashire. Woollens were suffering front loss of foreign markets. The recovery of our world trade could only come from an extension of personal energy and the use of brains, confidence, courage and skill. Sir Robert Horne said many of tiiose unemployed would in pre-war days have emigrated. He hoped Empire settlement would be accelerated, lie did not believe oil would permanently displace ,eoal, but considered better ways of using the latter would be devised, probably in the near future, Pulverised coal would be blown into the ships ns easily as oil through a pipe line. Iron and steel should he given a chance of proving their case for safeguarding. The steel trade was essential to the very existence of the nation. Sir 0. Mosley said that, if the- aged could be removed from industry and youth delayed from entering by raising the school leaving age it would go a long way to solve the unemployment problem. Air. Herbert Williams, replying, said that as soon as a first-class process for the distillation of oil from coal had been discovered there would be no need for Government assistance. No commercially practical process had vc-t been evolved, but the trade processes were improving tremendously. There would possibly be some unemployment in the temporary reaction resulting from cheapened production, but it might mean the, beginning of a revival. Tiie debate was adjourned.