UNEMPLOYED INSURANCE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17176, 5 February 1930, Page 7

UNEMPLOYED INSURANCE

LORDS' AMENDMENT REJECTION BY COMMONS TENSE POSITION CREATED (Eleo. Tel. Copyright—T7nit«d i'r-ss Assn.) LONDON, Peb. 3. The Opposition benches in the House of Lords wore more crowded than they have been since the Parliament Bill struggle in PHI, for the consideration of tlie House of Commons' rejection of the House of Lords' amendments on the Unemployed insurance Bill. An urgent. Whip had been sent out, in response to which peers were presenl who had not attended for years. The peeresses' gallery was tilled, and many members of the House of Commons were present at the bar of the House. The atmosphere was most tense when Lord Farmoor introduced the subject, expressing the opinion that there was no need for excited statements about a crisis. The House of Lords was competent to suggest amendments to bills within its limits, but when the Speaker ruled that these wt'n' a breach of the House of Commons privilege, and the House rejected them by a large majority, other considerations arose. Lord Salisbury had described the House of Lords' action as an assertion of the anxiety concerning extra burdens being put: on the taxpayers. These we've considerations which constitutional practice and statute had committed to the House of Commons for final decision. Lord Salisbury said they.were not merely there to make recommendations. He did not accept the plea of* breach of privilege, which had been used as a mere device to relieve the House of Commons of its duty of giving the reasons for its action. He would not insist upon Lord Darling's new clause, but this intensified tlie need for the bill being only temporary.

Lord Buckmaster said lie hoped the House would not take action which appeared hostile to the claims of poor people. He was not impressed by tlie arguments for making the measure temporary. If they were seeking a collision with the House of Commons, this was not the moment for the struggle. The House, without division, decided not to insist on Lord Darling's new clause, but. by 156' votes to 142 resolved to insist on the insertion of a time limit to the bill.

LABOR ANCRV After the House of.Lords' decision a Cabinet meeting was held, at which it was decided to call a special meeting of the Parliamentary Labor Party on February 4 to submit the matter to the rank and file. * Labor members are undoubtedly angry, and a section is spoiling for a tight with the Lords, but the general' impression in the lobbies is that a compromise will be reached, saving the Unemployment Bill and preventing a crisis.

The House of Lords amendment comes again before the House of Commons to-night. If tlie House of Commons again delete the time limit it will lie' a .most serious challenge to the House of Lords, .but there is reason to believe -that the House of Lords will accept a compromise gesture "from the Government. This is likely to be the substitution of a threeyear limit instead of one year, and it is understood Cabinet intends to put this proposal before the party in order to avoid losing the bill, as it is'recognised thai a struggle in the House of Lords would necessitate an immediate dissolution. Doubtless the Labor Party meeting in the morning will disclose a minority anxious to disagree, but Ministers should have no difficulty in securing a majority for their compromise. e The fact of the naval conference being in session is generally recognised as a si rung argument against an election at Hie present time. MORE PEOPLE WORKLESS In the House of Commons, on the motion for the third reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill, Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland raised the matter of the unemployment problem, pointing out that the number of workless was now higher than at any period for seven years, ahd'-wffs nearly 50,000 more than Inst year.

Mr. .1. IT. Thomas, replying, admitted that the register figures were worse and, moreover, at least 100,000 must be added by the end of the month by "reason of the operation of the new' Unemployment Insurance Bill, but it would be a profound mistake to magnify the figures. Business men had told him that this false impression was doing incalculable harm.

Sir Herbert Samuel pleaded this was a national emergency, and both sides should be summoned to aid the Government. He asked how far had Mr. Thomas proceeded with his plaits for Empire development. The bill was read a third time.

MR. THOMAS' ADMISSION CANNOT FIND CURE LONDON, Dee. 23. Mr. J. H. Thomas, Lord Privy Seal and Minister of Employment, in an ad-. dress at Penge last Sunday said : "Quite frankly, 1 tell you I have not solved the unemployment problem. 1 wonder how many would be honest and frankly say they expect the problem to be solved in six months?" IT© said the members of the Government realise! that that anything shaking the credit of the country would injure the very people they desired to help.