arrow West Cumberland News arrow November 21st 1931 arrow Mr CAPE Urges Findings be made Public
Mr CAPE Urges Findings be made Public Print E-mail
 
MR. T. CAPE URGES FINDINGS
SHOULD BE MADE PUBLIC.
______
 
A SAFEGUARDING REPORT.
 
 
Mr. T. CAPE, during the second reading debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday night, on the Abnormal Importations Bill, said the Labour members  opposed the measure on principle, and they believed that it, and the measures of a similar nature to follow it, which were foreshadowed, would not lift the country from its present economic position.
 
 
Members who had drawn glorious pictures of the benefits and joys which a Protectionist policy would bring to this country evidently were not acquainted with the conditions of the work people in the industrial cities of protected France, Belgium and Germany.
 
 
If they were ___? The House to assume that they advocated tariffs in order to bring the conditions of the British worker down to the same level as that of the Continental worker? (Ministerial cries of “NO.”)
 
 
The Conservative Party had a great responsibility for the position of agriculture, for at every election they had promised to do something for that industry. But what had they done? (A Conservative: “The De-rating Act,” and ironical Opposition cheers.)
 
 
During the two and a half years that the Labour Government were in power they had made an attempt to do something at least for the benefit of the farmers.
 
 
“NOT A SECRET DOCUMENT”
 
 
An hon. Member had referred to the iron and steel industry. He believed he was right in saying that when the Safeguarding Act came into operation, a committee was set up on which employers of labour were represented, and on one or two occasions the manufacturers in the iron and steel industry applied to that industry. But although the members of that committee have been selected by the Conservative Government the applications were turned down.
 
 
The Prime Minister had told the House that it was not intended to publish the findings of the committee which had inquired into the iron and steel industry. He contended that the House had a right to see that report. There ought to be no reason why that should be treated as a secret document, and he suggested that pressure should be brought to bear on the Government to make public the report in question.
 
 
His constituency was interested in the matter, as a large portion of the coal mined in it was used in the iron and steel and subsidiary industries.
 
 
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