THE OPPOSITION’S VIEWS

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1929, Page 11

THE OPPOSITION’S VIEWS

NO DIFFICULTY FORESEEN WARNING AGAINST SOCIALISM ATTITUDE OF LIBERALS By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian Press Association. Received July 4, 7.5 p.m. United Service. London July 3. The Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill, who was Chancellor of th e Exchequer in the Conservative Cabinet, expressed the Opposition’s view- upon the Labour unemployment policy. ■ He warned the Government that the moment it attenuated to put into practice "the fundamental vices and fallacies upon which the Labour Party was built” it would be swept from office. Mr. Winston Churchill characterised manv of the schemes outlined as attractive arid useful, and said that while the Conservative Party would look into them- with great attention and oxfiniiiiG the financial basis on vihicli they rested, he did not think any serious difficulty would arise between the Government and the Opposition upon the unemployment problem. Mr. Churchill stated the Government was going to try the moderate scheme of public works though these had not showed much prospect of affecting unemployment. They contained many points, from the viewpoint of the Empire domestic developments which the Opposition would not oplooked forward to hearing Mr. Snow, den defend the new reparations settlement. If he could persuade the French to pay more and the Americans to take less. Mr Snowden would receive congratulations, but it would be odd if Mr. Snowden s first important act was to defend the European settlement, leaving Britain worse off than when Mr. Snowden described the position as scandalous. Mr. Churchill reiterated Mr. Baldwins demand that the Government provide a week in January' or February to debate a confidence motion. If the Government repealed the McKenna safeguarding duties it would be from a political, not a financial motive. It would be extremely wanton and cruel to make workers an important industries a mere pawn to party politics. . Mr. Lloyd George, Leader of the Liberal Party, said there was a good deal of confusion about the actual unemployment proposals. If the liberals were satisfied-the Government was in earnest in its endeavour to overcome electoral wrongs, the Liberals must assist it to overcome the innumerable Parliamentary difficulties with which it was confronted, but if thev found the Government was trifling with the subject merely to gain time until it guiicd it to go to the country again under the old conditions, suspicion would inevitably be engendered which would be fatal to the usefulness of the Government. The Government’s policy with the mines, said Mr. Lloyd George, was the eaine as he offered in 1919 and which Labour and the trades unionists then rejected. He warned Mr. MacDonald there vvas a danger of wounding susceptibilities and arousing suspicions' by entering alone into a con fercnce with. America. He was not a man. to enter a conference, however, without a firm determination to make a success of it. Mr. Thomas’ road proposals were like a blurred copy of the Liberal book on the subject, Mr. Lloyd George concluded. The debate was adjourned.