UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18422, 1 July 1925, Page 9

UNEMPLOYMENT.

DEBATE IN COMMONS. PROPOSALS TO AID INDUSTRY. (by cable—mess association—coptbigilt.) (.belter's telegbaus.) (Received Juno 30th, 7.23 p.in.) LONDON. June 29. In the House* of Commons, a Labour censure motion on tlio Government was moved by Mr Ramsay MaoDonald in connexion vrith the Government's alleged neglect to cope with tho growing unemployment. Mr Baldwin said ho had examined various causes conducing to increased unemployment, which, he said, was almost entirely in tho coal and iron and steel industries. Ho thought that the time had come to examine tho British film industry, with a view to tho exhibition of a.larger proportion of British iiims, and in view of .tho danger to which tho Empire was subjected by allowing this form of propaganda. Ho invited tlio House to consider whether by subsidy it would bo possible to stimulate industries which at present seemed to have been beaten down to a position of helplessness.

Mr Baldwin indicated in this connexion, as possiblo avenues, bounties on production or exports, or subsidies in specially distressed districts in aid of the rates, so as to reduce the burdens of thoso who manufactured there, or subsidies to bring down goods rates on tho railways. Such schemes could bo applied only to efficient industries. Ho emphasised the importance of scientific research, which was being utilised on a great scale in tho United States in order to produce high quality goods cheaply and efficiently. Tho Government was already helping- 2-1 industries in research work.

MEMBERS IMPRESSED. EMPIRE DEVELOPMENT URGED. UcSTaHIAJT AXD S.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Rccired Juno 30th, 0.5 p.m.) LONDON, Juno 30. The debate showed that the seriousness of the unemployment problem Juid impressed members, though no party professed to offer an effective remedy. Tho tone of Mr Mac Donald's speech was mainly accusatory. He said capitalism was in tho dock and the Government was beside it. Mr Baldwin read most of his speech from typewritten foolscap. He urged that 90 per cent, of tho employable population ■ was working. It was essential that tho country should not get rattled. Ho insisted that there were strict limits to what Parliament could do to help industry. Mr Philip Snowden, in a hard-hit-, ting speech, described Mr Baldwin's remarks as a string of platitudinous generalities. There was not a single constructive proposal. Tho unemployed were not going to be- fed on copybook maxims.. Commercial men and industrialists were losing heart. During June 36-3 representative • securities shrunk by £48,000,000 on tho Stock Exchange." <

An interesting speech was delivered by Captain F. E. Guest, an ex-Lib-oral, who urged that the wide development oi: Imperial preference was the only remedy for unemployment. The Dominions would easily produce the £140,000,000 worth of food wo now bought from foreigners. Wo should creato a free trade Empire with a high tariff wall against the world. The rich unpopulated areas of the Dominions would then be developed and an opening be afforded for our surplus population. Mr Lloyd George was chiefly concerned in defending the unemployment policy of the Coalition Government. Sir Alfred Mond (ex-Minister of Health) urged land reclamation and Empire development. The debate closed amid a noisy scene, the Clydesiders, headed by Mr Mast-on, shouting down the Minister of Labour (Sir A. Steel Maitland) . Replying for the Government, he argued that it wag essential to expand internal production. For this reason the Government was pressing on with migration schemes.

CENSURE REJECTED. (bedtjjs's tzleobavs.) (Received Juno 30th, 10.5 p.m.) LONDON, Juno 29. Mr Baldwin mentioned that research work was proceeding in connexion with tho low carbonisation of coal and the production of oil and smokeless fuel thorefrom. The Government was considering a scheme for insuring debts, and was also prepared to give facilities for modernising arid repairing works and plant. Tho House, by 373. votes to 143, rejected tho censure motion.

TRADE DEPRESSION. "DANGER TO THE EMPIRE." (AUSTRALIAN AXD X.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, Juno 29. In tho House of Commons, Mr A. C. Is. Dixey (Conservative) said lie considered that in view of tho danger to the Empire owing to the present state of trade in Great Britain, representatives of the Dominions should be called together with a view to formulating Empire schemes with the object of developing the resources of the Dominions, and finding work for tho unemployed. Mr Baldwin replied that the Government was engaged in furthering to the best of its ability inter-Imperial co-operation and development of Empire resources on the lines agreed upon at the Imperial Economic Conference in 1923. Ho doubted whether at this stage tho summoning of another Imperial Conference would materially ad-

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vanee the objects which all were equally concerned in promoting. Sir Robert Home, ex-Chancellor of tho Exchequer, in a preface to Mr F. L. McDougall's book, "Sheltered Markets," says:— "It must bo realised that it is our Empire trade alone that saves us from a state of depression* even worse than that existing at present. Wo havo arrived at a juncture when tho problem for consideration is: How can wo best adjust our economio and commercial relations with our brethren overseas in order to save ourselves from tho disastrous fato in which our present attitude of drift will certainly involve us? It would 6eem to be dictated by commo-nsense that we should givo our Dominions population (of which they stand in need), who, in turn, would increase the valuable market for our goods that wo at present enjoy. This proposition involves an immediate policy of granting preference to tho Dominions."