Demand in the Lords for Statement by Government London, Nov. 21.
Land Arnold in the: House of Lords to-day raised the question of the safeguarding duties and moved 2 resolution demanding fromthe Government a clear and unequivocal declaration of its programme in this respect.
The Earl of Plymouth, replying for the Government, said that the declared policy of the Labour Party {o prohibit the importation of goods produced by persons under sweated conditions abroad was a form of protection infinitely more clumsy than the procedure being applied by the Government, The safeguard ing duties had. justified. themselves, They had increased employment and production in. the industries Which they had been applied, He reiterated the pledge that the Government would introduce taxes on food. The policy of the Government in regard to saferuarde ing, he continued, had been entirely consistent and economical from the Veginning. "It had loyally accepted the verdict of the electorate in 1923 against protection. It had no me tention then, and" stil had no, tention, of introducing protection through the backdoor of safeguards ing duties. But it was perfectly lear that' at the General Ele 1924 the Government had ceived avery definite: mandate Proceed with the _safeguardi duties. The Government. intend to continue its policy on the same Reuter. general Tines as in the past—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.