“SPINELESS AND INERT.”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18822, 10 March 1931, Page 9

“SPINELESS AND INERT.”

Labour Cabinet Denounced LADY MOSLEY’S BOLD DEFIANCE. United Press Association—By Electrlo Telegraph—Copyright (Received March 9, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 8. Met with cries of “Resign,” Lady Mosley defied a gathering of the Stoke Labour Party. “It is cheek and humbug,” she said. “If you want anybody to resign, ask the Labour Government, which has ignored every pledge. The front benchers are inert, spineless, and without a policy.” CALL FOR NEW PARTY. RESIGNATION FROM LABOUR MOVEMENT. Last month. Sir Oswald Mosley announced the formation of his party in a manifesto in which he again emphasises the lack of a national plan to meet the grave industrial situation. He condemns the political machinery of the old parties, “which has reduced Britain to her present plight.” Sir Oswald called to his aid such members of the House of Commons as consider a retirement from politics. “Even failure is preferable to acquiescence in the present situation,” he says. The requisites of the formation of the new party are: Voluntary workers in every constituency, candidates to contest the next election, and finance for the organisation of the party which will “change Parliament from a talkshop to a workshop, maintain stable markets, and a high living standard based on high wages.” Sir Oswald stated that his plan includes proposals economically to link up the Dominions with Britain by a new economic organisation with common interests. He launched an appeal for 400 election candidates; also for funds on behalf of the new party. He said that he and his supporters are not prepared to continue in politics without “an effort to rouse the nation to save itself from becoming third-rate.” Subsequently Sir Oswald and Lady Mosley announced their withdrawal from the Labour Party.

Socialists’ Sorry Record.

Whereas in 1929 the number of insured persons in work (10,207,000) was the highest average figure recorded, last year the average fell to the lowest (9,764,000) since the prolonged stoppage in the coal industry in 1926. The average rate of unemployment advanced during the year from 10.4 per cent, to 16.1 per cent. The only time during the past decade when last year’s average was exceeded was in 1921, when the dispute in the coalmining industry resulted in the average reaching 17 per cent., though those engaged in the dispute were not included. On 22nd December last the percentage rate of unemployment among insured persons in Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 20.2, compared with 11.1 on 16th December, 1929.

The Ministry of Labour “Gazette” states that the figures of unemploy - ment steadily increased throughout the year, and in December were higher than at any date in the period of ten years for which comparable statistics were available. In the cotton industry the percentage rate of unemployment increased from 14.4 at 16th December, 1929, to 47.4 at 22nd December, 1930. The textile trades, as a whole, accounted for an increase of 322,770 in the numbers unemployed, or 27.9 per cent, of the total increase in all industries taken together. In coal mining, iron, and steel manufacture, engineering, shipbuilding, and ship repairing, the aggregate increase in the numbers unemployed amounted to 286,918, or 24.8 per cent, of the total increase. From 57 per cent, above pre-war on Ist January, 1930, retail food prices fell to 38 per cent, on Ist January, 1931. The total number of people involved directly or indirectly, in trade disputes causing stoppages of work was about 309,400 as compared with 533,800 in the previous year.