HOUSE OF COMMONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20252, 10 November 1927, Page 9

HOUSE OF COMMONS

AUTUMN SESSION OPENED. PREFERENCE FOB GOVERNMENT BUSINESS. (Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, November 8. The House of Commons autumn session opened without ceremony. Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister (President of the Board of Trade), in answer to a question, said that for the quarter ended September 30 British imports from Russia were £7,600,000, compared with £6,400,000 for the corresponding quarter in 1926. The exports to Russia for the same periods were £1,022,000 and £1,200,000, and the reexports were £BOO,OOO and £2,200,000. Sir Austen Chamberlain informed a questioner that the anti-British feeling in China was diminishing. British shipping was being experimentally used in the Upper Yangtse, and merchants were returning to Ichang, Chingsha, and Chiang. king. The Government was considering what steps to take to deal with the revival of the anti-British boycott in Canton. Mr Baldwin announced that the Bill enfranchising women at the age of 21 would not be introduced before Christmas. Mr Baldwin told a questioner that the League of Nations’ Preparatory Commission on Disarmament would meet on November 20, and the Council of the League early in December. The latter would doubtless give 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 as regards the extent of its armaments. Sir L. Worthiugton-Evans said that he understood that the Soviet had bought 50,000 tons of nitrate, presumably for munitions, also large quantities of leather, tanning materials, lead, copper, and tungsten, which could be used for either civil or military purposes. Mr Winston Churchill admitted that the year ended October 31 had yielded in betting duty £2,766,000, which was only half of what was expected. Mr Baldwin, in a statement, said that the Government, anticipating the date of the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into an Indian responsible government, had appointed the following: Sir J. Simon (chairman), Lords Burnham and Strathcbna, Mr E. Cadogan, M.P., Mr S. Walsh, M.P., Mr G. R. Lane-Fox, M.P., and Mr C. R. Atlee, JVt.P. Parliament would not be asked to adopt the commission’s report without a full opportunity for expression of Indian opinion of all schools ; therefore it proposed to refer the report to a joint committee of both Houses. Mr Baldwin’s motion for preference of Government business throughout the session was carried by 269 votes to 128, Mr Ramsay MacDonald and Mr Lloyd George protesting, demanding opportunities to discuss questions of unemployment, the coal position, naval disarmament, and the new Prayer Book. Mr Baldwin undertook to try to find the opportunities demanded. —A. and N.Z. and Sydney Sun Cable. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA. COMMISSION TO INQUIRE. (British Official Wireless.) (Press Association—-By Telegraph-—Copyright.) RUGBY* November 8. (Received Nov. 9, at 9.30 p.m.) The Government of India Act, 1919, provides for a commission to inquire into the workin gof the system of government, the growth of education, and the development of representative institutions in British India and matters connected therewith. Under this Act provision is made for the appointment of a commission at the expiration of 10 years after the passing of that Act. The appointment forthwith, instead of waiting till 1929, will necessitate a short amending Bill to make possible this change. In the House of Commons Sir Laming Worthington-Evans, Secretary for War, stated that his visit to India was in no sense an official inspection of British troops, for whom the Indian Government was solely responsible. There were many important questions of finance, organisation, and administration—for example, the future progress and mechanisation of the various units of the British Army, which depended for a successful solution upon a common policy agreed with the Indian authorities. He hoped from his visit to India and from discussion with various authorities to be able to make some progress in dealing with these and similar matters.