BRITISH POLITICS

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18169, 6 November 1930, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS

UNEMPLOYMENT DEBATE. AMENDMENT DEFEATED. / LIBERALS REFRAIN FROM VOTING United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. Copyright. LONDON, Novernoer 4. The Leader of the Liberals, .\i ' Lloyd George, resumed the debate it. the House of Commons to day on thi Conservative amendment t.o the Ad-dress-in-Repiy. He expressed the opinion that free trade and protection were irrelevant. Both free trade and protectionisl countries were suffering from unemployment, and all were seeking national development works to give work to their unemployed people. The Labour Government had not attempted to make a real, energetic and convincing effort within the boundaries of the present system to deal with the situation. Mr George said he well understood that the Conservatives were fidgeting to get back to office, but Mr Baldwin was responsible for putting Mr MacDonald into power. Probably he preferred to have Mr MacDonald in office rather than Lord Beaverbrook or Viscount Rothermere. The Liberals had to fight both the Conservatives and the Labour Party, but, Mr George said, he'believed in giving the Government a .chance to develop what the Liberals would regard as a progressive policy. Why not adopt the Liberals’ schemes for providing work even if it involved raising a development loan? Mr Baldwin attacked the Government for permitting Russia to damage British industries by the export of dumped products, thus adding to unemployment. He said Russian dumping went far beyond the cost price and therefore was something new in the world’s history. The Prime Minister, Mr MacDonald, said it was absurd for the Opposition to claim that the 2,000,000 unemployed were due to the fact that a Labour Government was in office. He detailed the Government’s efforts to get trade reorganised, but said he was bound to say that his experiences were not helpful.' If the members of such a trade as cotton imagined that by holding up the reorganisation of that trade they were going to procure better terms, then they were not going to succeed. The amendment was rejected by 281 votes to 250, and the Address was agreed to. The House then rose. Most of the Liberals, including Mr George, abstained from voting. Five, including Sir Donald Mac Lean and Mr Walter Runciman, supported the Government. The members of the Independent Labour Party voted with the Government. A RESIGNATION. CHIEF LIBERAL WHIP. IGNORED PARTY DECISION. (Received Nov. 6, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, November 5. Sir Robert Hutchinson, who voted against the Government last night in defiance of the party decision, has resigned his position as Chief Liberal Whip.