BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1925, Page 2

BRITISH PARLIAMENT

- ■ - -- AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION HI ACKMAIL CASKS. LONDON, March 11. In the House of Commons there was a debate o:i a. motion to try blackmail cases in camera on account of th victims' disinclination to prosecute. Sir \V. Joynson-H inks, opposing the motion, drew attention to the disadvantages of attempting to puvservo se.recy. as for example, the recent cases like that of “Mr A ' whoso identity was known throughout the world, except in England; hut in view of the difficulty in dealing with blackmail eases adequately, he would pi.x-iblv seek legislative power to inflict a flogging. Tin- motion was negatived without a division. CONTRACT FOR GERMANY. DISCUSSED IN COMMONS. LONDON, March It. The loss of contracts (let to German builders for five motor ships as cabled on March (sth.) was discussed in the House of Commons Mr Connolly, a Labouiite, argued that the Get man Government's assistame to trade was far in excess of that given b.v Britain. He urged that the Government should afford some relief Irom taxation to the shipbuilders and the engineering industry. He also pleaded for closer co-operation among the employers, and he instanced a case which came under his own knowledge. Two firms were building sister ships, a certain department of one cost £9.170. and a similar department in the other cost £23.700. Neither of these firms knew what the other was doing though the ships were being built on opposite river banks. Mr Guinness, replying, said tluit the lowest price offering for this contract here was £1.150.000, while the German price was £850,000. The Government had no machinery for dealing with such differences,