In the debate on the Address in the House of
Commons, Mr. Heyday for the Labour Party, on Thursday, February 9th, moved an amendment regretting that the Government had not provided work for the unemployed. Instead of spending £100,000,000 in doles the Labour Party would have spent the money in starting reproductive works. Dr. Macnamara, the Minister of Labour, in reply, pointed out that America and industrial countries in Western Europe were suffering as much as we were from slackness of trade. Here the State and the local bodies had found £40,000,000 for useful work, suchss road- making, on which 126,000 men were engaged. The State, by its export credits and loans, had found employment for many skilled workmen. To set up State factories would be worse than foolish, when the ordinary factories -lacked orders. Mr. 013rnes com- plained that the Prime Minister had not honoured his pledge that no man who wanted work and could not find it should be allowed to starve. "Has anybody starved 1" asked Sir Alfred Mond. Mr. Clynes affirmed that men were starving in the East End because the dole of fifteen shillings was insufficient, though it is, of course, supplemented by the Poor Law authorities.
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