BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 December 1927, Page 3

BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

<Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, Dec. 7. Mr Baldwin said he had no further statement to offer on the subject of the safeguarding of the iron and steel trade. Sir Davison Britain lnsf year imported 4,000,00!) tons of foreign steel, while hundreds of thousands of steel workers were unemployed.

Hopkinson: Does not Mr Baldwin realise whether the safeguarding is or is not the solution? It will certainly result in the dissolution of a Conservative Government. There was no reply. Mr MacDonald moved to protest that during the censure motion on' Nov 16th. Mr Baldwin deliberately evaded any defence or explanation of the Cabinet’s inaction in the coal trade crisis, which the House declared, demands 'an authoritative statement by the Prime Minister. McDonald said, Hansard offered no precedent for the Prime Minister’s not replying immediately to the motions of censure. Labour’s indictment on Nov. 16th. was against the whole Government, as well as against Mr Baldwin personally. The previous motion put the whole Government in the dock for the present disastrous position of the coal industry, for which the government was lnrgly responsible, but Mr. Baldwin insulted the opposition bv failure to reply. Mr. Baldwin replying, said it conld not be held the Prime Minister was bound to answer every motion, which had become the general method of seeking an opportunity for a debate. The opposition on Nov. 16tli. showed to l>e dissatisfied by preventing any other speaker from being heard. There was no novelty in that method. He once took part in a similar demonstration of which he was heartily ashamed next day. He had also learned that such scenes did not increase a party’s popularity in an electorate. He thought the present motion showed Mr MacDonald’s realisation of the fact that disturbances achieved nothing. No party was willing to yield to clamour. Mr Baldwin went on : “In arranging the previous debate T thought Sir Cunliffe Lister should make the first general reply ns he was able to answer most of the points T asked. Sir StcelMaitland’s answer in particular, points on the unemployment. Mv own first intention as to wind tip the debate and later I decided to give place to Lane Fox who participated in the coal negotiations for three years. Lane Fox shortly giving up the portfolio to undertake a difficult task in India. Therefore, I felt it only fair to give him a last opportunity of speaking from the front bench. For that reason alone, T decided not to speak myself; for this the House is now asked to censure me. I await the result with confidence.”

IN THE COMMONS. LONDON. Dec. 8. Tn the. Commons Sir Joynson Hicks told Sir kali that he had seen press reports that some British delegates at the Bolshevik celebrations took the oatli of allegiance to the Soviet Republic. Hall: “Isn’t this tantamount to trenson ? ” Sir Joynson Hicks: “I am afraid it could not be the basis of a treason prosecution. I do not think it would Ipse a British subject bis lights.” Mr Kenworthy: “Did you see the photographs of Sir A. Chamberlain giving the Fascist salute in Italy ? ” oir Joynson Hicks: “ I wish you would send me a copy for my scrap book.’ , Hon. W. Churchill stated that gift in cash and stock to the Exchequer since the outbreak of the war totalled £i,078,000 sterling. A proportion was probably conscience money. The original cost of the Government’s shares in Anglo-Persian oil was a-j,200,000. They were pq>y tvqrth £23,600,009,