“Not Promises Only”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 642, 19 April 1929, Page 9

“Not Promises Only”

BALDWIN HITS AT LIBERALS Conservative Policy Presented DEBT ISSUE AS ELECTION WEAPON (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) Received 10.27 a.m. LONDON, Thursday. rE Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, addressing 2,000 Conservative leaders and organisers at the Drury Lane Theatre, outlined, the electoral programme and the entire Cabinet platform. Mr. Baldwin aroused general laughter by beginning; “Mr. Lloyd George has said the Liberal Party is a party of promises. I accept that. lam no competitor. We are performers.”

He continued: “This country has far to go in the direction of being humanised.” He repeated his pledge not to introduce Protection, and not to impose any taxes on food, and outlined further slum-clearing and educational reforms.

“Ours is a policy of sobriety,” he said. “We promise nothing that we cannot perform.” Mr. Baldwin went on’ to emphasise the seriousness of the industrial situation. The general strike proved a crisis, but since 1926 masters and men liad been getting together. The Conservative efforts had been directed at getting the men permanent employment. The Government decided definitely against a scheme which would lead to large borrowings, believing it ran a risk of causing an inflation of the market, which would make the cost of living rise. The Government was trying by arrangement with the Dominion Governments to make it easier for men and women to go to the Dominions and overseas colonies. (Cheers.)

It was now possible for practically all the boys in the depressed areas, if t.heir parents were willing, to be transferred to districts . where there was employment. The Government, was appointing a commission to advise on the development of colonial territories. Returning to the problem of unemployment. Mr. Baldwin pointed out that reorganisation was going on In all industries. As a result, Britain was recovering competitive power. As progress was maintained, unemployment would continue to fall. A factor which would be of great assistance in the next five years would be that, owing to the falling birth rate during the war, there would be several hundred thousand fewer entrants into industry than was customary. RIGHT POLICY FOUND UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM LESS ACUTE AID FOR INDUSTRIES British Official Wireless Reed. 11.35 a.m. RUGBY, Thursday. The Prime Minister, in the course of his speech outlining the Conservative general election policy, said: “While others are searching for policies to meet an emergency which is not likely to arise, we on our part have been immersed in a great struggle for years, and by a continuance of the policy in which we are engaged we shall continue the process that is now going on—that of conquering unemployment. “We are recovering from the world our competitive power. Our trade is definitely improving, and provided that no cataclysm of any kind in the

way of sudden reversal or alteration of industrial policy in this country occurs, that progress will be maintained, and improvement will continue to follow. “So solid are the foundations on which British industry now rests- that half a million of the surplus of unemployed have already been absorbed in industry, and I have every hope that, given the conditions I have just mentioned, the figures will shrink in time to normality.” What industry wanted to-day more than anything else were settled and stable conditions. Derating had removed from the overhead charges on industry between £20,000.000 and £30,000,000. It had given the greatest assistance that liad ever been given to industry in this country. The Government was satisfied also that the safeguarding of industries was a most valuable adjunct to producing permanent employment. AID FOR AGRICULTURE Turning to the question of agriculture, and the means of helping it- in its present condition, he said protection was ruled out. A subsidy would be of no use unless it coujd be guaranteed that it would continue for an indefinite term of years, and no one could give that guarantee. The Government, therefore, had gone straight ahead to try to reduce the overhead charges on agriculture. The Prime Minister announced that the Government had decided that during the six months of the year, from October to March, which was always an anxious time for the stock-keeper, beef for the British Army, Air Force, and Navy, when in home ports, shall all be British. WORK OF HOUSING No work done by the Government would stand the scrutiny of the country more than that done by the Ministry of Health in housing. He believed that suchc progress had now been made in the building of houses that the time had come to go forward farther and faster in the direction of clearing the slums and reconditioning them. That would be a task to which the Conservatives, if they were returned to power, would devote the wTiole of their strength and mind. Proposals were under consideration to extend maternity benefits under the national health insurance scheme. One of the first acts of the Government, when it came back, would be to form a strong committee to inquire into the whole subject of child welfare. The Minister of Health, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, in reply to a question, stated that the Government proposed to establish an organisation one of whose functions would be to act as an agency for the purchase of radium for medical use in this country or the Dominions and colonies. Until that had been established, and experience had shown what the needs were, it would be premature to consider international action regarding radium, as was suggested.