THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 4 December 1922, Page 1

THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT

tTJSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION LABOUR MEMBER’S VIEWS. LONDON, December 1. During the unemployment debate in the Commons, Mr P. Snowden, (Labour) urged recognition of the Soviet in order to compel the latter to throw away the last shreds of Bolshevism and Communism, and bring about renewed trade. Labour did not favour unemployment insurance, and if work were unobtainable, the nation should maintain the workers on a scale sufficient to prevent physical deterioration. In regard to land reform, the State should devote itself to intensive production, while the principle of co-operation should be extensively applied. The question of reparations should be banded to the League of Nations. Mr Page Croft urged the Premier to boldly ask the Empire Prime Ministers to give the Motherland vast tracts of country in each Dominion for development by the settlers. BONAR LAW’S' THEWS. LONDON, December I. Speaking on the Address-in-Reply debate. Mr Bonar Law said that the extent to which Britain bad become industrialised, and the small extent of its agricultural population, bad caused far greater suffering than that in other countries. Ho urged there was a possibility of trade development with the Dominions. Nothing could lie worse than to give the impression that there will be no improvement until Central Europe is put right. There was a possibility of immense improvement. He said the remedies proposed by the Labourites would make the ease far worse. He believed that tlior was now a real chance of a trade improvement. ASQUITH’S OPINION. In the Address-in-Reply in debate, Mr Asquith described the. Government's remedial measures as a melancholy instalment towards a solution of unemployment. Until international trade were stabilised, they should continue to he, of all nations, among the chief sufferers. Over the whole ecoinomiq situation in Europe there loomed two spectre*, those of the reparations and indebtedness. Until these were laid, the quest for economic stability was hopeless. Mr Bonar Law said be agreed with Ylr 'Asquith in the main. Much had been said about Germany’s inability to pay the reparations, but it seemed to him a curious result of the war that this country, which has snorified as m u<'h to obtain its victory, should be the only one almost to pay any indemnity.

LA BOLT! LEADER'S SPEECH. LONDON, December 1. Continuing the Address-in-Reply dehate. Mr Ramsay MacDonald (Leader of the Labour Party) said that the Government's own description of the evil of unemployment was very had, Its proposals for dealing witli it were even worse, if if turned out that as the result of the war. Britain’s peculiar positio lias a specialised p-oduetive world Power had gone. Emigration must ho faced. A great many who had emigrated wore hack in this country, with all their savings gone, and in a much worse state than when they went away. The Government’s ameliorative schemes would only absorb 120.000 workers out of one million and a half who were nnemvloyed. He hoped the House would siippi rt the Labour amendment as a vote of censure on the Government. The amendment was negatived hy "03 votes to 172. MORE EXPENDITURE. LONDON. December 2. The Sup' lementar- Estimates for the Civil Service placed hefoie the House oT Commons com'-rise votes of £B.B-11.-000. There is a v< te <T £3.800.000 in connection with t'-e liquid'iti n of the Ministry of Shipping. £034.000 fi r expenses of the Royal Irish Constabulary, and £282.000 for grants to ex-service-men in Ireland.