AGRICULTURE IN BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 December 1922, Page 5

AGRICULTURE IN BRITAIN.

MORE WANTED ON THE LAND. NEGLECT OF OPPORTUNITY. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Dec. 6, G. 25 p.m. London, Dec. 5. The debate on the Address-in-Reply was continued in the House ot Commons. Mr. Lloyd George, supporting the Liberal amendment demanding an inquiry into British agriculture, said that from the viewpoints both of the production of food and the employment of labor, drastic and far-reaching steps were necessary to deal with agriculture. No civilised nation had neglected agriculture to the extent Britain had. There was no more serious feature of Britain’s life than the population of the rural area: onlv nine per cent, of the population lived there. There was no country in the world except Russia where employment per hundred acres was less than in Britain. Labor cries: “Why didn’t you do something?” Mr. Lloyd George: “I made efforts, though I was not satisfied with them. During the war we increased the production of food from enough for fourteen to nineteen million people.” The House was half empty when Mr. Lloyd George rose, but 'when his name was flashed on the indicators in the library and smoking rooms members flocked back, headed bv Mr. Austen Chamberlain and Mr. Bonar Law, and the House was soon crowded. Mr. Lloyd George, evidently purposely, was non-provocative and non-eritical of the Government. He added that upon the reorganisation of labor largely depended whether unemployment would be a permanent menace to Britain. Mr. Bonar Law, replying, said the main expedients discussed for dealing with agriculture generally were protection or subsidies. The latter hod been tried and proved a failure, and the former was barred. He agreed that many aspects of agriculture needed investigation. He could not accept the amendment, but he promised inquiries on manv matters raised. Sir R. A. Sunders (Minister for Agriculture), replying, said he proposed to appoint a departmental committee to inquire into the difference in prices received by the producer and paid by th? consumer.

The amendment was defeated hy 267 votes to 52. The Laborites and National Liberals did not vote. The King’s Speech was carried without a division. The Tabor Party refused Mr. Newbold's application to send him a party whip.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.