Parliament's Week

House of Commons. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Snowden announced to the House that the Government intended ito promote the home production of beet sugar by granting a subsidy of 19 shillings and sixpence--about $4.25--per hundredweight (112 Ibs.)--to the industry. P: J. H. Thomas, Secretary of State for the Colonies, informed the House that the system of dominion representation at the Premiers' Conference had been most unsatisfactory, and that the Government proposed to call a Commonwealth conference in or about October to settle the procedure of giving the Dominions an effective voice in the Commonwealth's foreign policy. P: The Chancellor of the Exchequer outlined the Government's plan for dealing with unemployment. The projects embraced electrification of railways, building of new drainage works, reforestation of 50,000 acres of land, a plan to cheapen electric power, etc. The whole project is eventually to cost the taxpayer about $350,000,000. P: A future international arms parley was again made subject of a discussion. C. G. Ammon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, answering a question on the Government's naval construction policy, stated that the Cabinet still held to its intention of calling a conference as soon as a favorable opportunity presented itself; that the Government would, if it received no support, continue with the building of the Singapore base (TIME, Dec. 24). House of Lords. Their Lordships were somewhat disturbed by a violent thunderstorm and a leak in the roof above the Strangers' Gallery. Plumbers were on strike, so a bucket brigade was formed, to prevent the floor of the chamber, in which a discussion of the budget was in progress, from being flooded. Their Lordships' toes were thus kept dry.