EXPLOITING CRISIS

Taranaki Daily News, 28 October 1935, Page 5

EXPLOITING CRISIS

DECISION FOR ELECTION LABOUR PARTY’S ATTACK MANIFESTO GIVES POLICY “SOCIALISM AND PEACE” By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Oct. 25. The Labour Party’s election manifesto deplores the Government’s attempt to „ exploit the grave international crisis for partisan ends and lengthily catalogues allegations against the Government, including the giving of lavish doles to industry but failing to improve constructively the people’s lot, and the imposing of new burdens by increased food taxes and a restriction on supplies. It declares that the Government is responsible for the international situation because it did not attempt to check Japanese aggression and thereby seriously discredited the League. It also wrecked the Disarmament Conference and helped to restart the armaments race. It failed to make Mussolini understand that if he broke the peace Britain would join in upholding the League’s authority. The Government was overlate and half-hearted in supporting the Covenant. Moreover, while giving lip service to the League it was planning vast and expensive rearmament. “The Government endangers v/orld peace and Britain’s security,” adds the manifesto. “We demand a reversal of the suicidal foreign policy to seek the whole-hearted co-operation of the League to impose speedy action to end the Abyssinian war, followed by an immediate resumption of negotiations foi; all-round disarmament.” The manifesto promises to maintain efficiently the defence forces necessary and consistent with membership of the League, believing that the best defence i is not huge competitive armaments but collective security and a general reduction of armaments. ABOLITION OF AIR FORCES.

Labour will propose the complete abolition of national air forces, the creation of an international air police force and the abolition of private trading in the manufacture of armaments. It will also seek international co-opera-tion on economic and industrial questions with a view to increasing trade, raising the standards of living throughout the world and removing economic causes of war through equitable arrangements for access to markets by international control of the supply of raw materials and by extensions of mandates for colonies. ' . The party’s home programme include# public ownership of banks, coal, transport, electricity, iron, steel, cotton and land, a reorganisation of . agriculture, reasonable hours and conditions of employment for all workers, the reform of the Trades Disputes Act and the repeal of the Co-operative Societies Act. It aims at national planning to relieve distressed areas, removal of the means test, reabsorption of unemployed by national development schemes, reform of education by raising the school leaving age, development of health services, especially maternal mortality, an increase in old age pensions by lowering the age for receipt of such pensions, the abolition of the House of Lords and an improvement in the procedure in order to “promote Socialism at home and peace abroad.” END OF THE SESSION HIS MAJESTY’S SPEECH London, Oct. 25. The benches were very thinly occupied when Parliament was prorogued. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald and Sir Philip Cunliffe Lister were the only Ministers present. Less than 30 watched the ceremony from the galleries. “To the Queen and myself this, my silver jubilee year, will ever remain one of our happiest memories,” said the King in his speech. “The wonderful tributes of affection were received from every part of the Empire will be treasured hi our hearts as long as we live. I was happy to welcome to London the Prime Ministers from the Dominion overseas and the representatives of India who came to take part in the celebrations of the silver jubilee. “The critical situation which unhappily has arisen between Italy and Abyssinia has aroused the gravest concern. From the moment that the dispute occurred the Government exerted itself to the utmost to promote a peaceful settlement. It is regarded that these persistent endeavours did not avail to prevent a resort to force. The Government loyally supported the efforts of the League of Nations, with a view to the ■ restoration of peace and the achievement of an equitable settlement in the spirit of the Covenant.” After recalling a further considerable advance towards prosperity and improvement in employment. He referred to the measures for dealing wth distressed areas. “While the Government have not ceased their efforts to promote limitation and reduction armaments by international agreement it has been found impossible to postpone a further expansion of the Air Force,” said His Majesty. ’’Plans for further development of imperial air communications are under active consideration. “I have given my assent to a Bill to make provision for the future Government of India and Burma, which must stand in the records of both your Houses as one of the weightiest and most complex measures ■ with which Parliament has ever dealt. I hope that when the further steps required to bring the Act into operation have been taken its provisions will not only bring contentment and well-being to the people of India and Burma but will draw closer the bonds of amity between them and the rest of my Empire. “A more confident spirit of industry has continued. The growth in national revenue and prudent and successful management of our financial affairs have permitted a further considerable advance towards prosperity. >1 rejoice that it has been possible for my Government, notwithstanding the new pressing claims from many directions, to remove the greater part of the extra burdens imposed four years ago, and in particular to grant substantial relief to the small taxpayer. I am gratified to observe a further steady increase in employment among my people during the past year. Despite many adverse conditions in the international trade position the overseas trade of this country continued to expand, especially with other parts of the Empire and with foreign countries with which trade agreements have been concluded.”