Mr. Lloyd George's chief " plank " is road-making, and
he is prepared to spend £145,000,000 on roads alone in the first two years. He assumes that this would employ 350,000 men in the first year and 375,000 men in the second year. The whole Road Fund would be mortgaged, though he does not use that uncomfortable word. Rather he is prepared to behave like a person who borrows on his life insurance policy and thinks that the policy somehow retains its value. He is con& dent—though few other people will be—that when the roads are made the men who made them will all be absorbed in the labour market through the resulting improvement of trade. The question " Why not get value in the form of labour out of the unemployed who are now paid for doing nothing ? " is attractive, and, of course, has truth in it up to 'a certain point. But it is. not economically true -unless the unthinkable condition is imposed . that . the men must give full work for the,eqiiivalent of unemployed pay. It is not surprising that several Liberals have already dissociated themselves from Mk. -Lloyd George's pledge on the ground that they were ever consulted. ,
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