BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 47, 5 December 1929, Page 5

BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

QUESTIONS IN THE COMMONS.

(United Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, December 3. , Answering questions in the House of Commons as to when the arrears* ol £146,000,000 to he paid by Great Britain to the United States of America woud be cleared off, if all the Allied debts and reparations as arranged at The Hague Conference were paid at due date, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Philip Bnowden), replied, "The League Agreement gives us advantages worth approximately £22,00,000 per year for 37 years, as a setoff against the accumulated deficit between our receipts and our debt payments in the past, but that deficit will at no time be fully covered, and would not have been covered if the Dawes plan had continued in operation. The House carried in all stages a Bill of- Indemnity necessary through the appointment of seven, instead of six, members* of the House as Under-Secre-taries.

The Prime Minister (Mr Ramsay Mac-Donald) was asked whether, in view of the fact that £IOO,OOO had been collected from 150,000 subscribers to the' Imperial League of Opera, the Government intended to give assistance in establishing national opera. While expressing the warmest sympathy with the aims, of the Opera League, the Prime Minister regretted that he could not promise it a grant from the public funds. The President of the Board of Trade (Mr Graham), when asked, whether, in view of the success of the recent Economic Mission to South America, it was proposed to send similar missions to other parts of the world, said the question was under consideration, but he was unable yet to make any statement. Tlie Secretary of War (Mr T. Shaw), in answer to a question, doubted- the desirability of making illegal the sale of a Victoria Cross. The Army Act forbade the sale of decorations and medals to unauthorised persons. This (lid not prevent bona fide sales to collectors and similar purchasers. Mr R. Thurtle: Is not a man who earns a decoration entitled-to do what he likes with it? There was no answer.

Mr Graham,, answering a question, said that he would consider any practicable proposals to make impossible fraudulent "duplication and triplication of share issues. It was already punishable with penal serviture under the Forgery Act. When Mr Graham was asked several questions regarding the dumping of foreign goods in Britain, he stated that the Government made it perfectly clear that it was not prepared to support protective duties of any character. Ho mentioned that the Government had accepted an invitation to the forthcoming conference at Geneva, the object of which was to conclude a diefinite international agreement amongst members of the League of Nations, and non-member States, not to increase protective tariffs above the present level for a period of two or three years.