Mr George Terrell: 5. asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is able to give any up-to-date information as to the dual value of the mark in connection with its purchasing power of food in Germany as compared with food in this country; and also similar information concerning the currencies of France, Poland, Belgium, Czecho-Slovakia, and Switzerland?
Mr George Terrell: 34. asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that the Indian Government has now instructed its High Commissioner in London to buy all rail way requirements in the cheapest market; that, as a consequence of the dual value of the mark, German goods are being sold in India at prices which render British competition impossible; that, as a further consequence, there is great unemployment...
Mr George Terrell: Is the hon. Gentleman aware that this point does not arise on the question of reparation, but on the question of insisting upon Germany balancing her Budget, which is a matter directly affecting employment in this country?
Mr George Terrell: Will a statement be made by the Government as to its policy on this point?
Mr George Terrell: But not on this point.
Mr George Terrell: What is?
Mr George Terrell: The hon. Member who has just sat down has discussed this question from the Socialistic point of view, and he also enlarged upon it from the cotton industry point of view. There is one outstanding feature of Socialistic economies which I think must appeal to everyone here, and that is the disastrous failure which has resulted from the operation of those principles when put into practice in...
Mr George Terrell: I do not think the hon. Member can have followed my remarks, because the conditions, as I have said, are that British labour is being remunerated at the rate of 78. 9d. for piece work in competition with German labour which, at the exchange rate, was under 2s.
Mr George Terrell: It is in consequence of the double value of the German mark. That is the deliberate act of the German Government. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh!"] How was it that those conditions do not apply to any other country? They have been stated in this House, again and again the double value has been proved by the Statistical Department of the Government, again and again. There are still some hon. Members in...
Mr George Terrell: That sort of remark may be interesting to the hon. Member who uses it—
Mr George Terrell: Such a remark is hardly in keeping with the dignity or character of this House.
Mr George Terrell: That is how the exchanges affect industry in this country. There is not the slightest doubt—it has been said again and again, I think, without contradiction—that the great agitation which is going on in this country is not only organised by the importers and retailers in this country, but also has German assistance behind it. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh!"] We cannot allow Germany to go to war and,...
Mr George Terrell: The hon. Member made several perorations before he finally concluded his speech.
Mr George Terrell: These great, strong, sturdy men were scared to death at the thought of what might happen to them if this Act became operative. The hon. Gentleman quoted some very modest lines which had appeared at the head of a certain pamphlet, which I partly prepared, from Tennyson. I know that those lines were perhaps a little provocative, but I felt that in dealing with this matter one really had to take...
Mr George Terrell: A couple of years ago 11,000 people were engaged in it, and today there are less than 2,000. The other 9,000 have gone out of work. They may have found other jobs, but it is a very sad thing for our country that we have such a huge mass of unemployment, and that we are paying millions of pounds a year in unemployment doles for people who have lost their jobs, not through any fault of their...
Mr George Terrell: May I interrupt the hon. Member for a moment? I am quoting from a speech of the Prime Minister which was delivered on the 29th November, 1918, at Newcastle, in which he said. Whatever happens, Germany is not to pay the indemnity by merely dumping cheap German goods upon us and other countries.
Mr George Terrell: No. speak for yourself.
Mr George Terrell: 44. asked the Prime Minister whether, seeing that the Reparation Commission have now replied to Germany that the reparation payments are only one and not the most important of the causes of the depreciation of the mark, and that financial stability can only be obtained if the financial reforms which they have recommended are immediately put into force, and that the chief reform is that...
Mr George Terrell: I beg to second the Amendment.
Mr George Terrell: I beg to second the Amendment.
