Parliament's Week

House of Commons: P:Debate on rubber restriction was opened in the House. Colonial Secretary Amery held that the scheme was intended to safeguard the industry from the effects of overproduction and that the high prices at present obtaining were due to speculators who had taken advantage of an immediate shortage to force prices up. Said he : "The greater part of the requirements for next year of most of the great rubber companies have been met at moderate prices." Former Colonial Secretary J. H. Thomas backed the present Minister. P: Home Secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks was asked if he believed that "retaliatory measures would be calculated to lead to an improvement of emigrant conditions at Ellis Island."

Replied he: "No." Asked if he were satisfied with conditions at Ellis Island, he replied: "No, I cannot say I am satisfied with conditions, and I hope an improvement will come before long." P: By a majority of 127 votes, the House defeated a Labor motion to reduce the naval replacement program, outlined a fortnight ago by Premier Baldwin (TIME, Aug. 3). Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill, who originally was against the program, was forced to defend the Government's naval policy, and a bad time he had. Ex-Premier Ramsay MacDonald (Labor) reproached him for "arming when no foe threatened and thereby prejudicing the prospects of world peace."

Ex-Premier George followed the same line of argument, taunted the Chancellor for his "surrender of the public purse to footpad Admirals bent on holding up the Government and Parliament."

Mr. Churchill, who had been listening to the indictments of his pusillanimity with a wry smile, jerked himself to his feet to confound his critics. He had tried, said he, to settle a naval building policy in order to prevent yearly friction between the Admiralty and the Treasury. The Admiralty had proposed a policy and he, Mr. Churchill, had urged a delay of one year before putting it into effect. But the Government had (allegedly because Admiral of the Fleet Lord Beatty and First Lord Bridgeman had threatened to resign) eventually decided to proceed at once with the shipbuilding scheme, provided that the Admiralty made economies which affected the cost. P:An important statement on the threatened coal strike was made by the Premier (see above). P: A bill to regulate unemployment insurance was passed after a dull debate by a vote of 263 to 98. The provisions of this measure empower the Government to prevent unemployment benefits (doles) from being improperly obtained. The Labor Party opposed the bill because it will deprive 70,000 persons of benefits which they would otherwise receive.