Electoral Reform

The reopening ceremony of the Chamber of Deputies took place without incident. The session is expected to be short.

On the agenda of Parliament is a measure to regulate customs tariffs and another to reform Italian codes. The electoral reform bill may also come up for discussion.

It is said that Premier Mussolini intends to summon a general election next Fall, and is therefore anxious to get an early approval of the electoral reform. This is rendered even more urgent by demonstrations favoring the monarchy but hostile to Fascismo, which were held recently in several parts of Italy.

In the proposed electoral reform, Mussolini intends to do away with the succession of ministerial crises, which have been the hallmark of Italian Governments in the past, by giving future governments a guarantee of four years' power. It is considered that the establishment of such a reform will enable Italy to enjoy the full benefits of the Fascist revolution.

The Fascisti and the nationalists, who were forced to join the ranks of Fascismo, only hold 50 seats out of a total of 430 in the Camera dei Deputati. This huge majority is kept in its place from fear of the Fascist organization outside Parliament.