BRITISH POLITICS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLIV, Issue XLIV, 29 February 1924, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS

HOURS OF LABOUR

THE NEW CRUISERS

BY CABLE—PEK33 ASSOCIATION—COPYEIGUT

Received Feb. 29, 9.30 a.m

LONDON, Feb. 28. Replying to questions in tho Commons, Mr Shaw announced that he proposed shortly to introduce legislation dealing with th© Washington Hours of Labour Convention. Tho Minister added that what had occurred in Germany in contravention of the convention could not absolve us from keeping our word.

Mr Ammon Kiid it was not in the public interest to publish the details of the new cruisers, but they would conform to tho requirements of the Washington Treaty. The Admiralty expected the cost to be between £1,500,000 and £2,000,000. The effect of their building on the number of the personnel of the Navy must depend on the decisions reached on the replacement programme, which would bo the subject of a Government investigation. The latest figures of th© light, cruiser strengths of th© AngloAmerican and the Franco-Jopaneg* navies were respectively ' 48—29 and 16—28. Mr Ammon added that had the full programme of the late Government been embodied in the Navy Estimates tho extra cost involved, would have been approximately £3,000,000, and an additional personnel of 14,000. The increase in the Mediterranean fleet did not indicate a change in policy on the part of the Government.—Rcuter.