RIOTING IN BRITAIN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17916, 21 October 1932, Page 7

RIOTING IN BRITAIN

REFERENCE IN COMMONS COMMUNIST ORGANISATION UN EMPLOY ED IRE LI EF (Elec. 'ln. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Received Oct. 21, 10 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. .19. On the motion for the adjournment of the Ottawa debate in the House of Commons, Mr G. Lansbury drew attention to the unemployed disorders in London and the provinces. He said those were widespread, due to the conditions laid'dotvn for the treatment of the unemployed by the late and the present Governments. The demonstrators had a right to advertise their condition, and the police should provide facilities for doing this peacefully. The “means" test should be revoked. Sir John Gilmour, on behalf of the Government, said that Tuesday's demonstration in London was organised by the Unemployed Movement, which was mainly a Communist organisation, whose campaign had been in progress since July, when it started in Bristol. The police had discharged their duties under great difficulty, facing ruthless brutality. After Sir'Stafford Cripps and other Labor members had complained of the “means" test, Mr MacDonald promised a. statement of the Government’s intentions regarding the “means" test. Meanwhile, he appealed to members not to find excuses for the rioting, or to make it easy for those who were not out to help the unemployed, but to kick up a row.

Mr D. M. Mason: You have no right, to say that. Mr MacDonald: Nobody knows better than the honorable member that what I said is perfectly true. The House then adjourned.

A new measure which the Government is preparing, dealing with the grievances of the unemployed, is not expected radically to alter the administration of unemployment insurance, but is designed for the guidance of the public assistance committee in assessing applicants’ need for relief. There have been complaints all over the country arising out of the lack of uniformity in .the application of “the means test," which was introduced by the late Labor Government and now applies to over 1,000,000 workless receiving transitional benefits. ft is expected that the new hill will contain definite instructions for the taking into account of applicants’ war pensions, small investments, house property, and other private means when assessing the amount of the benefit.