PARLIAMENT OF BRITAIN

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1929, Page 11

PARLIAMENT OF BRITAIN

EVACUATION OF RHINELAND WORK FOR THE UNEMPLOYED LOAD-LINE FOR SHIPPING British Official Wireless. . Rugby, July 16. Asked whether any instructions had been sent to the British Army .headquarters in the Rhine occupation zone as to the proposed arrangements for evacuation of the occupied territory, the Under-Secretary for. War (Mr. Shinwell) replied that definite instructions could not be issued ’ until a decision had Deen reached regarding the evacuation, but the arrangements which would then be necessary had naturally" been considered; by the War. Office, in conjunction with the General Officer Corn- 1 manding the British army on' the Rhine,

Replying to a question in the House of Commons, the Postmaster-General said it had been decided to establish a public service between London ’and Berlin for the transmission by telegraphy of pictures," photographs and other similar matter. The service would at the outset be of an experimental character, and the question of its permanent adoption and its extension to other routes would be considered when sufficient experience had been obtained. The Lord Privy Seal (Mr. J. H. Thomas), . replying to a question on the possibility of building a road bridge over the Severn to serve South Wales, said it could not be dissociated from the other question of the Severn barrage, which was now' being studied. He also stated that he regarded the proposal for the construction of a • midScotland canal, capable of carrying the heaviest shipping, as one for inquiry, and he was looking into it.

The total estimated value of the schemes now before the unemployment grants committee was about £5,500,000. Asked whether he was prepared to give effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on coast erosion, the president of the Board of Trade said he hoped to introduce a Bill on the subject before the summer recess. In reply to a question the president of the Board of Trade (Mr. Graham) said the statutory rules for finding the position of the loadline on ships, which had been in force since 1890, had been modified from time to time in the light of increased construction of ships. Further revision of the rules had been undertaken by an expert committee, which was expected to report very soon. It was proposed to send the report to Dominion and foreign Governments for consideration, and efforts would be made to secure international agreement on the subject of the loadline.