The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, MAY 26, 1930. THE LABOUR RIFT.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, MAY 26, 1930. THE LABOUR RIFT.

J.HE revolt of Sir Oswald Mosley, one of the junior members of the Labour Ministry at Home, is probably, considers the Christchurch Times, the Hardest blow the Government has received. Sir Oswald was appointed •Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and his task was to assist Mr J. 11. lhomas in dealing with the problem of unemployment. It was known «mie months ago that the assistant was oissatisfied with the course his chief Jmd laid down, and, in March last, addressing the League of Nations Union, Sir Oswald gave a brief outline ol the policy which he would adopt, Ihe proposals, it was understood, were those that had previously been considered by a committee of Cabinet and condemned as impracticable. They would have involved the expenditure of a huge sum ,and Mr Snowden contended that it would tie I

better to leave the money with the taxpayers for investment in industrial and other activities which would assist to reduce the volume of unemployment. 'I lie basis of Sir Oswald’s scheme was provision for giving to anyone employed in industry, who was sixty years of ago or more, a retiring pension of thirty shillings per week. The proposer and his supporters contended that those physically feeble would accept the offer and thus create openings for the employment of able-bodied workers. The estimated expenditure under this head alone, was €20.000,000 annually. Recent Kiigish. papers jiavo

made frequent reference to the fact emit Sir Oswald Jjosiey was becoming more 'and more impatient with Mr i'homas and his methods. It wn*. even stated that lie had reached the stage of open revolt, and that he had t.ie support of *ur George Lansbury, First Commissioner of Works, and

Air 'Loin Johnson, one of the undersecretaries. VV iuit has made the position very difficult for Sir Oswald mis been his inab.lity to satisfy members. of the House of Commons that reasonable, progress was being made in dealing with unemployment. He suggested on one occasion that the Labour Government- had promised nothing in particular, and on another was compelled to admit that the rationalisaion senemes, on which Mr 'l’homas placed so much importance, would probably result in making unemployment figures more depressing before any permanent improvement could he expected. Other proposals advocated by this very ardent young man, such as a development loan, were along the lines of the famous Liberal unemployment plan. But the very caustic criticism of the Liberal scheme made by Mr MacDonald and Mr 'Jliomas during the election campaign made its acceptance, even m part, Very unlikely. If Sir Oswald Mosley should go so far a.s to challenge the very existence of the Government in this issue the first result would be to make more definite the cleavage between the moderate section of the Labour Party in Parliament and the extremists on the left wing. The situation is interesting as continuing the genera! op.nion of the unfortunate experience, that there is not any royal road to the removal permanently of unemployment, 't he .unemployed who waited on the Prime Minister-elect at Wellington last week, and were dissatisfied with Mr Forbes reply and offers, passed a vote of no confidence in the Government. Their attitude •was no doubt akin to Sir Oswald Mosley’s—desired to create a condition of affairs which could not be sustained econorii.ieally by the country, 'lire obvious result would be disaster; and the last state of the unemployed in that predicament would be worse infinitely than the present. The Government of New Zealand as Mr Forbes was able to explain between the interjections of his restive interviewers, had done and was , doing a. very great deal for tlie unemployed. Unemploywas not created by the Government at Home or here, and, it is clear that the Government of any country will always do its best to meet a stressful situation, but it cannot overcome insurmountable obstacles. It is due to the Government to give them credit for all that the are doing, and to exercise patience over the difficult period in which, they are maturing plans to do more and more for the army of unemployed whose members will increase naturally during the winter periods.