BRITISH POLITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 May 1924, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. BRITISH BY-ELECTION. LONDON, -May 22. Tile West Koxtcth bve-eloction resulted : -Mr Gibbons, Labour, 10,i503. -Mr White, Conservative, 13,031. The seat is a Labour gain. Sir W. Houston resigned the seat. The “Daily Herald” says: .Mr .'MacDonald, commenting on the West Foxtcth hye-eleetion result stated it was “a great and encouraging victory.” It showed wlmt would happen at the general election. UNEMPLOYAIENT PROBLEAI. LONDON, May 22 The unemployment policy of the Co- 1 vernment was challenged in the House of Commons on the motion of Sir W. tJoynson Hicks to reduce the .Minister, Mr I l '. Shaw’s salary l>y .Cloo. The Government warned its supporters of the urgency of the occasion of this deha ft.

Mr Shaw, in introducing the estimates of the Ministry of Labour fiercely attacked his predecessors’ blundering and incompetence, which were unequalled. He praised Mr MacDonald’s restoration of Ihitish prestige abroad, and its stimulation of unemployment at home. Sir W. Joynsou Hicks, in moving his resolution, said .Mr Shaw had not told a single scheme to provide work for one man. The only explanation of the Government's unfulfilled election pledges was that they could not fuh'd them, or alternately they had no ability to carry them out.

Mr Mastcrmnn, while expressing neutrality on behalf of the Liberals, said that it was sheer nonsense to pretend that the Labour Parly was in any way responsible for the reduction of unemployment since it assumed office.

The debate was adjourned. LONDON, May 2.1. The unemployment debate in the House of Commons concluded by the Conservatives motion to apply a do sure being defeated by 211 votes to 210. Sir AY. Joynsou Hicks motion was thereby talked out. LIBERAL CAMPAIGN. LONDON, May 2ft. At the annual meeting Sir Donald . -MacLean was re-elected president of f the National Liberal Federation. He stressed the need for money. He said that if-tlic position were not better at the end of this year, he must resign. LONDON, .May 2d. .Mr Lloyd George started a great “Liberal” revival campaign by addressing the uuuiinl conference of the National Liberal Federation at Brighton. In replying to the taunt that the Liberal Party is dead, he said that over four million people had voted Liberal at the last election. There would be many more if the Tories proved as ineffective in opposition as they did in office; and if the Socialists continued to demonstrate they were frightened of their job. He look- * ed forward to a day, not far distant, when the Liberals would resume oflico

EMIMRE MIGRATION. LONDON, May 2d Replying to a question in the House of Commons, Mr Rhys Thomas said that the Empire Settlement; Act, 1922, for assisting ex-service men to settle ill the Dominions, applied only to irishmen resident in Northern Ireland, but it did not apply to Irishmen living in tiie Irish Free State. He added that the Government were unable to offer such assistance to persons under jurisdiction of a Dominion Government.