UNEMPLOYED BILL

Hokitika Guardian, 27 November 1929, Page 3

UNEMPLOYED BILL

MR DEVLIN’S RETURN.TO THE COMMONS. [United Press Association—By Electro Telegraph.—Copyright.] LONDON, Nov. 26. In the House of Commons, Mr Joseph Devlin (Irish Nationalist Member for Belfast West) resumed the debate on the second reading of the Government’s Unemployment Insurance Bill. Mr Devlin, in this, his first speech in the present British Parliament, said: For the first time in his life he sympathised with the Government of the clay. As Parliament had already admitted the principle of the unemployed allowance, the only question was whether it was an adequate allowance. The Government was dealing with the relief side of unemployment very modestly. A real National Council, representing all sides, might do a good deal towards the solution of the problem of finding work. lit. Hon. Tom Shaw winding up the debate, said that nob dy regarded the ■ present bill as an ideal one. The Government believed that it represented as much as they could get from Parliament. The hill was only a stopgap, and it was npt intended to be a permanent measure. The Conservatives moved an amendment. It was defeated by 299 votes to 2jA. The bill was then read the second time. Forty-three of the Liberals voted with the Government. The Labour Left Wingers, who are most dissatisfied with the rates of the benefits provided in the bill, supported the Government against the amendment, but they state that if there had been a division on the motion that the ' Bill he read the second time, they would have abstained from voting as u, protest.