Tag: 100 Years Ago

2 JUNE 1924

Raymond Poincare, the French leader, resigned from office.

Two thousand Merseyside bricklayers and masons came out on strike, unauthorised by their trade unions, against the proposal of the employers to readjust the national rates of pay, which in the case of Merseyside would mean a reduction. The employers are meeting on Wednesday to consider the position, and a national lock-out is threatened.

Important conversations on the Ulster boundary question took place at Chequers between Sir James Craig, the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, with Mr Cosgrave, the President of the Irish Free State, and Ramsay MacDonald, the Prime Minister.

Japan’s protest against the exclusion clause embodied in the new United States immigration law was delivered in Washington, along with a request that the American Government should take all possible steps to the removal of the discriminatory measures.

The four leading unions concerned in the Ruhr miners’ dispute having recommended acceptance of the arbitrator’s award, a settlement has been arrived at. About a million people unconnected with the dispute were thrown out of work by the strike.

1 JUNE 1924

Stanley Baldwin, the former Prime Minister, speaking to his constituents in Worcester said:

“If I gauge the feeling of people rightly, there has been underlying, subconsciously, perhaps, a very strong feeling throughout the electorate, not only here, but also on the Continent, that the war would have been fought in vain if something was not to come out of it that would lead to better circumstances and to a better environment for the working masses of the peoples of the world. As a result of that feeling there came swiftly into their minds a reaction against any Government that might be in power. It is perfectly obvious that no Government can bring the people all they desire. Their desires are largely inarticulate, but they do want to see things different, and they call on fresh Governnments in the hope that they may find in them what they want.”

Railway shopmen employed on the London Electric and Great Northern Railways are threatening to come out on strike later on in the week.

31 MAY 1924

The full text is published of the Note addressed to the German Government by the Conference of Ambassadors concerning the general inspection of German armaments desired by the Allies.

The Industrial Councils Bill, which imposts on the Ministry of Labour the duty of calling together the two sides in industry with a view to the formation of a Council if desired by both sides, and seeks to give legislative effect to such decisions of the Council as many be submitted to the Ministry for that purpose, passed second reading in the House of Commons by 236 votes to 16 votes.

By a majority of three to two, the House of Lords allowed the appeal of the Hon Christabel Hulme Russell against the decree nisi pronounced in March of last year, dissolving her marriage with the Hon John Hugo Russell, son and heir of Lord Ampthill.

The danger of a strike in the building trade has been removed, the national ballot having resulted in the employers’ offer being accepted.

The Mount Everest expedition have encountered extremely low temperatures and have been driven back to the base camp at Rongbuk.

30 MAY 1924

The critical debate in the House of Commons on the Government’s unemployment resulted in the rejection of the Opposition amendment by 300 votes to 252. Eight Liberals voted against the Government. Herbert Asquith and all other front bench Liberals present supported the Government.

The miners’ delegate conference by a majority accepted the proposed terms of settlement, and a new wages agreement for 12 months, subject to one month’s notice on either side, will now be signed.

The King and Queen of Italy left London on the conclusion of their visit to the British sovereigns.

The arsenal at Bucharest, the Romanian capital, is reported to have been destroyed through an explosion caused by a spark from a locomotive.

11 MAY 1924

It was announced at the National Union of Textile Workers’ by Ben Turner  that a new Factory Bill was to be brought by the Home Secretary to the House of Commons.

Three million workers involved in industrial disputes, and around one million more workers whose livelihood was threatened by the proposed abolition of the McKenna Duties, were involved in proposed trade union negotiations.

10 MAY 1924

The report of the Court of Inquiry concerning the wages in the coal mining industry sets out the six principal points raised by the miners, and gives the conclusions arrived at. It is added “the resumption of negotiations between the parties with a view to a modification of the terms of the agreement of 1921 appears to offer an immediate and practicable means of effecting a new wages agreement”.

Raymond Poincaré, the Prime Minister of France, accepted an invitation from Ramsay MacDonald, the Prime Minister, to visit England on 20 May and spend the evening at Chequers.

A disturbance broke out in Kirkul, Mesopotamia, broke out with 100 members of the public being killed.

9 MAY 1924

The Government of India (Leave of Absence) Bill, which empowers the Secretary of State to grant leave of absence to the Governor General, was read a second time in the House of Lords.

A vote of £7 million for dockyards at home and abroad was discussed in the House of Commons, and the question of the redundancy of some existing establishments referred to, the Government being urged to investigate the question.

Winston Churchill, addressing Liverpool Conservatives, declared that today the great need was for unity in resistance to the spreading of subversive Socialist doctrines. He condemned the Budget as Mid-Victorian and a death blow to social reforms.

David Lloyd George, the former Prime Minister, addressed a letter to the press correcting Winston Churchill’s statement that he had promised “whole-hearted support” to a Unionist Government, and pointing out that, as a condition of support, he stipulated certain policies, which, he holds, were not thereafter pursued.

8 MAY 1924

Replying to Lord Raglan in the House of Lords, the Under Secretary for the Colonies said that the insinuation contained in the question that there was a Zionist Tyranny in Palestine was unfounded.

Addressing a Liberal gathering at Chelmsford, Herbert Asquith emphasised that he had no regrets for having put the Socialist Government, and defined the lines along which that Government was forced to go if it did no wish to lose the Liberal support.

Winston Churchill, speaking at Liverpool, described the present Government as a vast monument of sham and humbug. He proposed not to bring division to the Conservative party, but to return to the arrangement by which it was reinforced with a Liberal wing co-operating in whatever might be found most useful in the national interest.

7 MAY 1924

On the Report Stage of the Budget resolutions in the House of Commons, unsuccessful attempts were made by Opposition members to obtain further reductions of the tea, sugar and cocoa duties in the shape of preference to the Empire Product. The Chancellor said the proposals would involve him in loss of revenue which he was not prepared to consider.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated in the House of Commons that before it was decided that the McKenna Duties should lapse careful consideration was given to representations from the various interests concerned.

6 MAY 1924

The German elections have resulted in a big loss for the Socialist Party, but it remained the largest in the Reichstag and was expected to be asked to form a Government.

The Bavarian Cabinet resigned.

More questions were asked in the House of Commons with regard to the McKenna Duties. The Financial Secretary to the Treasury scouted a suggestion that on the expiry of the duties a dumping of motor cars from the United States would take place. The Opposition, through Stanley Baldwin, asked for an opportunity to discuss the question. The Government offered a day for discussion for either the same week or the following week.