§ 51. Lieut.-Colonel MOOREasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present state of the negotiations between his Department and the directors of the Cunard Steamship Company in regard to the completion of their ship?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to what I said on this subject on Thursday last during the Debate on Unemployment, to which I have nothing further to add.
§ Lieut.-Colonel MOOREIs my right hon. Friend aware that as a result of the remarks that he made in that speech a certain amount of interest and hope was created in the West of Scotland, and will he say whether there is any ground for that hope?
§ Mr. BUCHANANIn view of the fact that before the right hon. Gentleman made his statement hopes were held out to a large number of very decent hardworking people that they were likely to get a job on this boat, and as it is very important, could he make some sort of statement showing that these men who had this hope are likely in the near future to be given a job or not?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINOne of the difficulties about making any statement of any kind on this sort of subject is that irresponsible people hold out the hope of something more than has been jusified by the statement made. I do not want to encourage that sort of thing, and that is the reason why at this stage I think it advisable not to add to what I said before.
§ Mr. THORNEIs it not a fact that the cause of all this trouble is that the White Star Line want to load a lot of obsolete ships on the Cunard Company?