Work for the Idle

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 706, 4 July 1929, Page 9

Work for the Idle

MR. THOMAS’S KEEN QUEST

Conservative Approval PLAN OUTLINED IN THE COMMONS British Official Wireless Received 11.7 a.tu. RUGBY, Wednesday. THE Lord Privy Seal, Mr. J. H. Thomas, who is the Minister in charge of the special measures for dealing- with unemployment, gave some indication of the Government’s proposals in the House of Commons when the debate on the Address-in-Reply to the Speech from the Throne was resumed. He said the ultimate solution of the unemployment problem could not he separated from the trade, commerce and industry of the country; hut the gravity of the situation demanded special measures.

The most dangerous part of the problem was that 400,000 or 500,000 persons, despite all their efforts to find work, had been unemployed in some cases for three or four years, particularly in areas where paralysis of one industry meant the ruin of the district. His task was to examine schemes which would not only give work to the unemployed but would also stimulate trade at Home and abroad, and add to the economic equipment of the country. The railway companies were giving orders, so far as they could, to substitute steel sleepers for wooden sleepers, for which 1,250,000 tons of timber were imported annually. He was discussing- with the Post Office the question of substituting steel and concrete posts for the timber posts now used for telephones and telegraphs. He was going to explore every avenue to see whether things could be produced in this coun, try which were at present imported. The question of steel railway wagons was also under consideration, and in reference to the remission of the railway passenger duty by the late Government, on condition that £6,500,000 was expended by the railways on capital work, he had met the railway managers, who had undertaken to proceed with the new works as speedily as possible. Turning to roads, he said 500 miles of main trunk roads begun five years ago were now almost completed. Another five years’ programme was in hand which, if it were speeded up, would cost £9,500,000; hut there would be engineering delays and surveys. The reconstruction of Waterloo Bridge could, however, be proceeded with immediately. Work of this kind was being examined by a committee, whose report would be published shortly. He was meeting various local authorities tomorrow, and he had already discussed schemes of development with the municipal tramway authorities. The work of Lord St. David’s committee would continue; but while hitherto the granting of money by this committee had been limited to municipalities, in future assistance would be given to public utility companies. Mr. Thomas proposed to seek powers this month to guarantee a sum of £35,000,000 for loan purposes, and to grant interest for a period not exceeding 15 years, where assistance by guaranteed loan was inadequate.

Schemes for land-drainage, afforestation and fisheries development were being examined, and special schemes for development in Scotland. In the Budget each year there would In future be set aside a sum of £1,000,000 to be used for developments of the 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 the East Africa and Palestine Guaranteed Loan Act to enable £1,000,000 worth of schemes to be put in hand there without delay. The Government was having a survey of the Empire cotton areas conducted by airplane, with a view to their development. Mr. Thomas said 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 the whole question. MR. CHURCHILL’S OPINION Mr. Winston Churchill, Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Baldwin Government, characterised many of the schemes outlined as attractive and useful, and said that while the Conservative Party would look into them with great attention and examine the financial basis on which they rested, he did not think any serious difficulty would arise between the Government and the Opposition upon the general method of treating the unemployment problem. In response to a suggestion from Mr. Stanley Baldwin and Mr. Lloyd George, the Prime Minister agreed to withdraw and reconsider a resolution giving Government business precedence over that of private members until Christmas. Mr. MacDonald said the Government proposed to submit one or two purely departmental Bills and one or two giving the Government certain powers to deal with unemployment before the House rose about the end of July. PROBLEM OF JUVENILE WORKERS HINT TO DOMINIONS (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United Service) Reed. 12.45 p.m. LONDON, Wednesday In the House of Commons today, Mr. Philip Snowden, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said he would not ask

the House to proceed with last year’s draft of the Finance Bill. Mr. J. H. Thomas, Lord Privy Seal, said the entry of children of 14 years of age into industry was a problem bristling with difficulties. There were 300,000 people engaged in industry between the ages of 65 and 70 and an equal number aged 25 unemployed. In the Dominions there was material ready to be used on this side where there was human material going to waste. He could not dictate to the Dominions, but he hoped that when the position was explained to them they would desire to help.