Distress and Unemployment.

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 9 December 1931.

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Photo of Sir Lewis Jones Sir Lewis Jones , Swansea West

That gives me an opportunity of putting my point. The hon. Member has referred to a report published by his association, the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation, the principal union of the iron and steel industry—and remarkably well led—which was published about May of this year. I am assuming that the hon. Member for Pontypool, as a member of the executive of that organisation, was at any rate a party to the publication of that report, that it received his approval as an important official. If the hon. Member spoke with one voice a fortnight ago regarding the inefficiency of the iron and steel trade, he spoke with a totally different voice when he put his sign mark of approval to the report published by his own organisation. That report stated: Some of the main causes for the present situation in the iron and steel trade are outside its control. Others have arisen from the War and the financial policy of this country. Further, the report says: The inevitable slump that followed 1920 and 1921 was gravely accentuated by two national coal stoppages. That report, which puts the trade union point of view, explains the reasons for the difficulties of the iron and steel trade, and exempts the employers from at any rate the whole of the responsibility for that trouble.