BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18889, 11 December 1924, Page 9

BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

FORMAL OPENING.

SPEECH FROM THRONE.

THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY

IMPERIAL ISSUES RAISED.

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE

By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright.

(■Received 7.35 p.m.) A. and N.Z.—Keuter. LONDON. Dec. 9. The King's Speech was delivered in the !House of Commons by the Speaker. Mr. J. H. Whitley, at the formal, opening of the British Parliament to-day. It stated at the outset that the Government proposes to proceed with tiie plans already made for enlarging the naval base at Singapore. The British Government and the Governments of the Dominions had begun to examine the Geneva disarmament protocol. They were unable to recommend the consideration of the recent treaties between Britain and Russia. Normal intercourse between the two countries would be rendered possible by a strict fulfilment of the conditions of friendly international intercourse, which had been repeatedly .submitted to the Soviet Government.

The Speech proceeded: "There is no doubt the happy result of the Prince of Wales' previous visits to the Dominions •will bo repeated in South Africa, in the spring of 1925. The Prince will also visit the Argentine next year, in response to an invitation from the President and Government of hat country.

Ct-operation With the Dominions. ;> " A bill will be introduced to safeguard British industries. Provision will be made for the alleviation of unemployment and for relieving the housing shortage by the encouragement of new methods of construction. ■ " My Ministers are inquiring into the possibility of increasing the old-age pensions and .granting pensions to widowed mothers.

" The. Government's guiding principle will be the closest co-operation with the Governments of the Dominions and

India. The Government will steadfastly adhere ito the encouragement of Empire settlement and mutual trade. Proposals will be submitted to grant further preferences on Empire imports. " Measures will be submitted to encour'age the sugar beet industry, to provide for the marking of imported foodstuffs and to carry out the recommendations of ! the committee on preservatives and the colouring of food." . The Address-in-Keply. I In the House of Commons the mover of the Address-in-Reply was Mr. R. G. Eilis, Conservative member for Wakefield, and the seconder was Lord Baliiiel, Conservative member for Lancaster (Lonsdale). Both emphasised the importance of improving inter-Imperial trade. '■ "■■■'

Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald, leader p2 the Labour Partv. said the first product 01 the Government was a King's Speech of extraordinary length and very little 6ubstan-~e. The Government had no policy, in regard to food prices or agriculture.

He asked how the Government -was going to submit the case for the Geneva protocol to the Dominions. Was there going to be a special Dominions' Conference? If so, -would the proposed International,. Conference on Armaments be postponed ?

Mr. Mac Donald urged that no time ought to be lost in coming to an agreement as to Egypt, 'in regard to future relations with that country any arrangement must be assented to by the Egyptian Parliament. Safeguarding of Industries. Finally, Mr. Mac Donald asked if Mr. Stanley Baldwin, the Prime Minister, intended to introduce Imperial preference without taxing food i Were they going to have tinned salmon again ? (Laughter.)

In replying to the criticisms of Mr. Mac Donald and Mr. Lloyd George, the Prime 1 Minister said the Government would have been foolish to rush the acceptance or rejection of the Geneva protocol, without the fullest investigation in conjunction with the Dominions. After a reference to the Singapore base scheme, Mr. Baldwin said that as regards protection, he adhered to his previous statement to the effect that while he would employ the Safeguarding of Industries Act to safeguard the efficient industries in which there was great unemployment owing to unfair competition, he would not introduce protection this Parliament, nor use the Safeguarding of Industries Act as a means of introducing ii ■

Beth Houses Adjourned. The debate proceeded on general lines, and was adjourned until to-morrow. The House of Lords agreed to the Address-in-Reply to the King's Speech, and also adjourned. The outstanding feature of the Speech, which was unusually long, was its frequency of reference to Dominion affairs in substantiation of Mr. Baldwin's pi,itform pledges to make Empire le'velopment the first consideration.

The High. Commissioners occupied seats in the Lord Chamberlain's box.

Mr. Lloyd George laid emphasis on the fact that the British taxpayers were paying £130.000,000 a year on account of Allied debts. He asked whether Britain would continue to pay tin: United States while her allies made no offer? Mr. Baldwin, in replying, promised that the question of Allied debts would be dehated next week. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, .Mr. Winston Churchill, would, he said, state the Government's position.

Mr. Baldwin also stated that the Royal Commission on Food would submit an interim report upon meat and bread. Crowds Cheer Eoyal Family.

Beyond the presence of a large force of police and a more vigilant surveillance at the entrances to Parliament, there was no untoward incident in connection with Ihe formal opening of Parliament. .Scarcely a thought seemed to be given to the Egyptian plot. "VMiiteha.i and other approaches to Westminster were densely thronged by enthusiastic spectators, who gave an ovation t<> the Prince.of Wales as he passed a few minutes before the Royal procession. The latter was a moat imposing array of magnificence.

, The Guards Regiments lined the route. Detachments of Life Guards, in glittering uniforms, were included in the procession. Their Majesties unceasingly acknowledged the crowd's unbroken chorus of cheering, which culminated in a rousing wclcorno at the gates of the House.

The scene in the House of Lords was a very brilliant spectacle, radiating with' colour and the flash of jewels. Among the large assemblage of diplomatic corps wore representatives of Russia and Egypt, the only countries to which references in the Speech were embarrassing. Both diplomats sat unmoved throughout the rending of the Speech. '-