21 JUNE 1930, Page 1

Mr. Lloyd George offered the Government a " guaran- teed

majority " if they would hold an emergency session to pass emergency measures in regard to unemployment. He suggested that "half--a-dozen first-class pieces of legislation " would be necessary and that a Committee should be formed including Liberal representatives. He added that Liberals' must be called in " as equals " and have a right to examine official documents as well as to consult with Civil Servants. As usual, Mr. Lloyd George created suspicion among Ministers, who fear him most when he is bearing gifts. The general impression is that he wants: to save his Party by a coalition with Labour, After proposing the conditions which we have already mentioned he airily explained that he " would not dream of making conditions for Liberal support." He merely trusted to the sense of justice in the Government to redress the undoubted electoral griev- ances of millions of Liberals. An agreed policy on un- employment which need mean neither an instant Labour- Liberal Coalition nor any interference with the Govern- ment's responsibility would be quite different from Mr. Lloyd George's tactical plan and could be accom- plished. ' It seems very unwise of the Unionists to leave Labour and the Liberals to decide alone the methods of dealing with unemployment. The danger is that we shall get an excessive programme of road-making or some similar disproportionate expenditure.

* *