THREE VOTES AHEAD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 314, 11 July 1930, Page 7

THREE VOTES AHEAD

DIVISION IN COMMONS THE GOVERNMENT’S ESCAPE GREAT EXCITEMENT SHOWN Telegraph—Pres* Association—Copyright] Received July 10, 9.20 p.m. LONDON, July 9. In the committee stage of the Finance Bill, the Government was only saved from defeat by three votes. An amendment by Dr. E. L. Burgin (Liberal) permitting the exemption of income tax money spent on plant and machinery, was supported by the Conservatives, and only defeated by 278 votes to 275. The Government was saved by four Liberals voting them. Thirteen Liberals did not vote and about 25, headed by Air Lloyd George, voted with the Conservatives against the Government. Air {Snowden said that the proposal meant a subsidy to every trade and profession. Every new counter put in every bank and every new vat in every brewery would escape taxation at the expense of the taxpayer. It would cost £30,000,000 a year without reducing unemployment by a single person. The greater part of th.s gift would go to prosperous industries and leave Lazarus still begging at the gate. Mr Lloyd George said he did not desire to defeat the Government. He was of opinion that the concession would cost only £6,000,000 or £7,000.000, yet it would accelerate orders and help rationalisation. Mr Winston Churchill said that this Liberal proposal was freer from objection than the others. When the division was taken the House was seething with excitement and the result was announced amid great ministerial cheering wirh a universal gasp of relief cries of “resign” and counter cheers. Some of the Liberals stated after the division that they had not realised that the Government had been in serious danger, or they would have acted differently. There was a suggestion that the division would lead to trouble in the Liberal Party. The effect in Government quarters was to provoke severe criticism of Mr Lloyd George and the remark that a conspiracy to kill the Government had faded. After the Finance Bill the House of Commons considered the Lord’s amendment to the Coal Mines Bill. After Air Bevan and other miners’ representatives had declared against the spread over of hours, the Government’s motion of disagreement with the Lords’ amendment on the subject was carried by 296 votes to 238.

LAR GUE AMENDMENT. LEFT WINGERS’ OPINIONS Received July 10, 11.5 p.m. LONDON, July 10. An amendment to Mr Baldwin’s censure motion has been tabled by the Labour left wingers, including Messrs ise. Beckett, McGovern, Oliver Baldwin and Miss Jenny Lee, declaring that neither free trade nor protection is the remedy for unemployment, and asks the Government to rescue British agriculture from ruin by first establishing import boards for the principal foodstuffs and raw materials, which will enable the guaranteeing of remunerative to British agriculturists for their produce in order to avoid th? disastrous effects of speculation and dumping; secondly, to build up British exports by reciprocal arrangements in connection with bulk contracts; thirdly, to reorganise on national lines, tinimporting and exporting machinery of the staple trades to deal with unfair competition.