LATEST CABLE NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 February 1924, Page 2

LATEST CABLE NEWS

BRITISH POLITICS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. THE CRUISER CRITICISMS. LONDON,* Feb. 21. Mr Harris asked whether theso boats ’ wore 'l^Eunl!y needed for the defence of the country urgently. Would it not be better to use the money in a more productive manner. Mr Thurtle asked whether or not .this decision was to be taken as a great moral gesture to the world. The Labourite asked would he take into account the fact that the laying dowrr of these cruisers would lead to the laying down of further cruisers by other foreign countries which would lead to a possible catastrophe, creating far more unemployment. Mr Ammon, replying, contended that they were largely replacements. We are not really adding to our weight of armaments. • Mr Pringle asked leave to move the s, - adjournment as the matter was urgent and of public importance.

All the Liberals and over half the Ministerialists present supported the motion which will bo discussed in evening. BRITISH POLITICS. LONDON, Feb. 22. In the House of Commons. Mr P. Snowden '(Chancellor of the Exchequer) stated that Empire preference last year cost the Home revenue £4,500.000.

Mr Buxton (Minister of Agriculture) stated that, in view of the high cost of imported fine wool, his Ministry was making grants to promote a programme of breeding experiments to ascertain the possibility of improving tlier native wool hv crossing with meri-

The “Daily Telegraph” states that the Donald Committee on Wireless handed its Imperial wireless chain report to Mr V. Hartshorne (Postmaster General) last Friday. The Cabinet is expected to announce its policy within Hi'ce weeks. The House of Lords has passed the Unemployment Insurance Bill, and the King has assented to the Bill. The House of Lords read for the second time Lord Buck-master’s Legitimacy Bill, with tlie object of legitimatsing children horn out of wedlock, if the parents altcrwards marry each other.

Lord Haldane said that the Government favoured the Bill, and he hoped Lord Buckmaster would endeavour to satisfy the Archbishop of Canterbury, who supported the measure, and other critics in respect to certain amendments at the committee stage.

LIBERAL MOTION DEFEATED. LONDON, Feb. 22.

In the House of Commons the Liberals were the principal critics of the Government when Air Pringle moved the adjournment to call attention to the Government’s naval, shipbuilding proposals. Commander Kenworhy ironically commented oil this method of the pacification of Europe. He asked: “Why, as a logical conclusion, has tlie Government not sought to cure or relieve unemployment by embarking on a firstclass war with somebody?”

Mr MacDonald explained that the ships would not he laid down until the' House had sanctioned the expenditure when the Estimates canto up. He dedared that these vessels were purely for replacement purposes. The Government could not carry out his disarmament pledge by allowing the navy to disappear by wastage from the bottom. The whole question of the future navy programme was now being Until the completion of that, inquiry, no decision would be reached. He stated that 2250 men would he discharged from the Royal Dockyards in March if tbo fresh construction were not undertaken. This number of men would bo increased by another 2500 in March of 1025. He declared that when they came into office the Government had begged the public authorities, the War Office and the Admiralty to put their work in hand with a view to relieving the unemployment, and the present proposal arose therefrom. Colonel Amory strongly supported the Government. He was only sorry that the Government had not seen its way to carry out the wl7oel programme of the late Government, namely, of. light cruisers and a considerable number of other vessels, including aircraft carriers. Mr Pringle’s motion was rejected by 372 votes to 73. The Conservatives supported the Government against Mr Pringle’s motion. Cries of “saved by the Tories!” greeted the announcement of the division figures.