BRITAIN’S IDLE PEOPLE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17945, 2 May 1928, Page 13

BRITAIN’S IDLE PEOPLE.

Dealing with the Problem. DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, April 30.' In the House of Commons, Mr H. B. Betterton (Under-Secretary for Labour), replying to a question, said that the Transference Board was reporting shortly. The Board was giving special attention to oversea settlement. The Government was co-operating with the education authorities to prevent the demoralisation of unemployed youths. Work would be found for 92 per cent, of the youths from the training centres, of which there were now 100, with an average daily attendance of 6600. Mr T. Grenfall: One-tenth of the money needed to transfer-the unemployed miners would reconstruct the coal trade and reabsorb the lot. Mr J. Wallhead read a letter from experts, stating that there were ■IOO,OOO unemployed in Australia, and it-was-cruel-and criminal to send out fnen to the ;rigours of bush life, which .fratjveZ Australians would not face.

*’ Mr-.E. Shin well (Labour), (who was - .for, Mines in Mr Cabinet), -in committee, move'd to reduce the Ministry of (Labour estimates ,as a protest against the Government’s callous disregard of unemployed/ whioh was unparalleled in Britain’s: history. The true, state of not been disclosed'. It was ;m^eli/w'prsp,‘ i -tl\an.-the'officiar statistics ‘showed."'. The 1 Government passed the ■Eight Hour Act in the - interests /of •increased, coal ■ production; ahd now ;the . cOalowners ■ - were " , demanding , restrictions 1 on 1- ’ output-. 1 The Industrial . Transference Board found work for not a single man. Though there are 50,000 unemployed in South Wale*;, it only sent ;22T to the training centres. The Government had produced a new problein: ofderelict;mining town. Sir Robert Horne (former Chancellor' of the Exchequer) said nobody had a remedy for unemployment. What was Labour’s remedy for the importation of commodities which were causing unemployment in > Britain ? He emphasised the opportunities for migrants in' Australia and New Zealand.

Mr R. C. Wallhead (Labour): “Let. us all go there.” Sir Robert Horne: “If I were young enough, I would be-glad to . lead you thither.” / ’

Mr A. Maclaren (Labour): “Why don’t you marry?” Sir Robert Horne: “I have not your attractions or I might have done. The chairmanship of a matrimonial agency is not included in the functions of. the . Ministry .of Labour.” The Ministry- ought to pay particular attention to the emigration of juveniles. There are half a million more people employed in Britain than before the war, but there , aro more people than could ever find..work.- It was Britain’s responsibility and bounden duty to find opportunities overseas, arid gee rid of the tragic case of youths unemployed from the moment of leaving school. . •■ ! • ■Mr R; S. Hudson (Conservative) said hundreds of men in liis con-;, stituency'had refused to go to the training centres. / Lord. H. Cavendish-Bentinck (Conservative) said the Government’s refusal to ratify the Washington eight' hours convention gravely injured British ■ workers. • ••■•-••. Mi- C. Edwards (Labour) said if they approached the problem in a nonparty spirit, .like the Prayer Book, a solution could be found,,,They would have rt'o consider, pensioning the rider order and give younger men a chance. Miss’ Margaret Bonfield (Labour) said that Labour profoundly believed that capitalism had .broken down because;, it could; not • secure for the people a-certainty: of a decent standard of living. Unless the country tackled the problem by a gfeat national cooperative effort, if Would sink down • steadily. . Mr It. B. Betterton (Under-Secre-tary, for Labour) pointed out that the. .Government had-placed half a million more men in industry than wheu Labour was in office. The motion for reduction was defeated, by 227 votes to 114.