OPENED WITHOUT CEREMONY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19154, 10 November 1927, Page 11

OPENED WITHOUT CEREMONY.

HOUSE OF COMMONS MEETS. MINISTERS REPLY TO QUESTIONS. (BT CABLE-rBBSS ASSOCIATION-COPYRIGHT-) (AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. AND SUN CABLE.;

LONDON, November 8. The autumn session of the House of Commons opened without ceremony. Sir P. Cunliife Lister, in answer to a question, said that for the quarter ended September 30th British imports from Russia totalled £7,600,000 as compared with £0,400,000 in the same quarter in 1926. Exports to Russia during the same period were £i,o2-?.000 and £1,200,000, re-exports £BOO,OOO and £2,200,000. . Sir Austen Chamberlain informed. a questioner that anti-British feeling in China was diminishing. British shipping was being experimentally used in the uuper Yang-tse, and merchants were returning to I-chanS, Cningshan, and Chiang-kiang. The Government was considering what steps to take to deal with the revival ot the anti-British boycott in Canton. Mr Baldwin announced that the Bill enfranchising women at the age ot Jl would not be introduced before Christmas. . ~ Mr Baldwin told a questioner that the League of Nations Preparatory Commission on Disarmament would meet on November 20th, and the Council of the League early in December. The latter would, doubtless, "ive effect to the Assembly's resolutions. Though the Soviet was participating in the Disarmament Commission, he was not aware that it had made any statement of the extent ot its armaments. Sir L. Worthington Evans said that lie understood that the Soviet bought 50,000 tons of nitrate, presumably for munitions, also large quantities of leather tanning materials, lead, copper and tungsten, which could ''e used for either civil or military purposes. Mr Winston Churchill admitted that the vear ended October 31st had yielded in betting duty £2,766,000, which was only half what was expected. Mr Baldwin in a statement, said that the Government, anticipating the date for the appointment of the Royal Commission to enquire into responsible sovernment for Tndia had appointed the following:—Sir John Simon (chairman). Lord Burnham and Lord Strath cona, Messrs Cadogan, Walsh, and Lane-Fox, and Major Atlee. Parliament would not be asked to adopt theCommission's report without full opportunity for expression of Indian opinion from all schools. Therefore, it was proposed to refer the report to • joint committee of both Houses. Mr Baldwin's motion for preference to Government business throughout the session was carried by 269 votes to 128.

Mr "Ramsay Mac Donald and Mr Lloyd George protested, demanding opportunities to discuss questions of unemployment, the coal position, naval disarmament, and the new Prayer Eook.

Mr Baldwin undertook to try to find the opportunities demanded.