DISAPPOINTMENT FELT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 813, 6 November 1929, Page 9

DISAPPOINTMENT FELT

MR. THOMAS’S SPEECH ON UNEMPLOYMENT LLOYD GEORGE’S COMMENT British Wireless — Press Assn. —Copyright RUGBY’, Monday. Commenting on the employment schemes (jf Mr. J. H. Thomas, Minister in charge of the problem, Sir L. Worthington Evans, Conservative member for Essex, formerly Secretary of State for War, said all the schemes Mr. Thomas had outlined would only employ 36,000 men. 'The Government had disorganised the motor trade by its unwillingness to promise to continue the McKenna duties. Owing to the losses of New York speculators there was a danger of the dumping in Britain of motor-cars, artificial silk, wireless apparatus and gramophones. Mr. Lloyd George, Leader of the Liberals, described Mr. Thomas’s schemes as timid, pusillanimous and unintelligent. He said they were only likely to provide work for onethird of the men who had been added to the unemployed register since the Labour Government came into office. Mr. J. Maxton, Labour member for Bridgeton, Glasgow, and chairman of the Independent Labour Party, said; “Someone stated that Labour would be in power for 20 years. They would need every hour of that time at the present rate of progress.” Gontinuing, Mr. Maxton said Mr. Thomas had indicated that he had not attempted to advance a solution of the problem on Socialistic lines. One of Mr. Thomas’s greatest qualities was that he knew how to change front at the appropriate moment. Never was there a more appropriate moment than now to turn from capitalist philosophy. The Minister was granting £40,000,000 to the capitalists. A similar amount would not be too much to put directly into the pockets of the unemployed. That was the only w-ay to solve the problem. Sir Oswald Mosley, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, replied to the debate. He detailed a number of arrangements made with municipalities for works, such as water supply, which were intermediate between revenueproducing and non-revenue-producing schemes. In those cases the Government was increasing the grants to 41 per cent, of the Interest, compared with the previous 26 per cent, granted to the municipalities. Mr. Thomas’s speech on. unemployment is generally regarded by politicians and the Press as disappointing. It contained no surprise and the actual or promised achievement is far short of what had been hoped by many of the Government’s supporters. The “Daily News” suggests that Mr. MacDonald should give Mr. Thomas another post and appoint a better mail in his place. The “Daily Herald” is not enthusiastic. It says the Minister’s statement, shows that his hard, gruelling job is being tackled with a thoroughness that is bound to bring success.