BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 4 July 1929, Page 5

BRITISH PARLIAMENT

UNEMPLOYMENT QUESTION (British Official Wireless.) ' (Received this day at ’12.25. p.m.) RUGBY, July 3. The Lord of the Privy-Seal, Mr J. ' W. Thomas, who is Mimster-fn-Charge /’of' special measures for dealing with unemployment, gave some indication of the Government's proposals in y the Commons, when the deoate on the ' Address-in-Reply to • the Speech from the Throne \Vas resumed. 1 > j Mr Thomas said the ultimate solu.jtion of the unemployment problem could not be separated from the trade, and industry of the country, nut tbo gravity of the situation. demanded special measures. The most dangerous part r ,of the prouiem was that 4,000,1,00 'or 5,000,000' despite all their effortsv-to c finch 1 "work, 1 has been unemployed, in some cases for 3 or 4 years, particularly in areas where the paralysis of one industry meant the ruin of the district. Hfs task was to examine schemes which would not only give workVto tlie unemployed, but would stimulate "trade at Home and .abroad and' add to the economic equipment of the country; Railway companies were giving orders so far as , they couldi'to. substitute , steel sleepers for - sleepers, for which 1,250,000 tons were imported annually.. He was discussing with the Post Office the ques‘hjrkih- of substituting steel and concrete -'.pests for timber posts, now used for telephones and telegraphs. He was going to explore every avenue to see -whether, things' could be produced in this country which were at present imported. . --cl;' ■ >' ■■■

-The question of steel railway wagons : was also under consideratian, and in .reference to the remission of railway passenger-> duty by the • late government on condition that £6,500,000 was expended- by railways on capital work, he(had met railway managers who had undertaken to proceed' with new works as . speedily. as possible. , : Turning to-roadsy he said that 500 miles of main trunk roads, begun five years ago, were now almost completed/

Another .-five years’ programme was in

hand which, if speeded up, would cost j -£9,500,000. : ' -/ Work for six years' on secondary roads and bridges had also been sanctioned, at a cost of £8,000,000. Dealing with Thames bridges, Mr Thomas said money was allocated for Charing Cross bridge. The expenditure there : was roughly * £11,000,000, but-therp /would be engineering delays arid, surveys. . . . . .The ,reconstruction.' of Waterloo ’ bridge could, however, be proceeded with: inimedlately. Work of this kind

was being examined by a committee, whose report would be published shbrtr/i y. * ; (l . i He was meeting various local ** authorities to-morrow, and had already. discussed schemes of development witn municipal tramway authorities. • V ; The work of Lord St. David’s Com.mittee would continue but while hitherto the granting of . money by this ,• committee had been limited to muni■j cipalities, in future assistance would be given to public utility companies. :, He proposed to . seek power this month, to guarantee a sum of £35,030,000T0r loan purposes, and to grant ■interest for.-a period'; not 15 years where assistance by guaranteed loan was inadequate. fy Schemes ,i|or Jfind. drainage, affore- ,! \ station arid usheries’ development were x being examined'.-and special schemes for development’in Scotland. . . ■ f In,the Budget each year there would in future be set aside a sum of £I,OOO--to bo used for developments of colonies alone. It was proposed to extend the exports credits scheme for a longer period of years. , ' Power would be taken this month to amend East Africa and Palestine guaranteed Loan aci, to enable £1,000,000 woitli of schemes to be put in hand ; there* without_ delay. . Coverhment were having a survey of 'Einpire : cotton areiis conducted by . aeroplane, ' with a view to .their development. He had said little about migration within the Empire because he ,believed that was a problem to be ’. negotiated on the spot: He proposed to visit Canada during the recess to discuss - thb whole question.

i Mr Churchill characterised many of M the schemas outlined as attractive 'and useful', and jsaid.chat while the Conservative Party would look into them witli great attention and examine the financial, basis on which they rested, he' did not think any serious difficulty would arise between Government and opposition upon the '.general method of treating the unemployed problem. • In response' to a suggestion from J\lr Baldwin and Mr Lloyd George, the Prime. Minister, in' the Coipmons agreed to withdraw Hny reconsider the re-

solution • giving 'Government business :Vr precedence over that of private mem?‘:bers until'Christmas. .> ’Mr MacDonald said the Government proposed to submit one or two purely departmental'bids and one or two giving Government certain ’powers to deal with unemployment, before the House rose about the end of July.

y- DISCUSSION CONTINUES. (Received this day at 12.25. p.m.) ■ ’ : 'LONDON, July 3. | In the House of Commons, MivP. Snowden said he would not ask the House to preeed with last year’s draft of the Finance Bill.' TMr J. H. Thonuts said the entry of children of fourteen intp industry was a problem bristling with difficulties. There were three hundred thousand people engaged in industry between too ages of sixty-five and seventy, and t bn equal; number aged .25 were unem-^

n ployed. In the Dominions there was material ready to he used, and on this side there was human material going to waste, fie could not dictate to the Dominions, but hoped when the position was explained to them they would desire to help.