31 MAY 1925
The King and Queen formally opened the new Great West Road, claimed to be one of the finest highways in the world. The aim was to provide a new route from London to the West and avoided the use of the bottle neck at Brentford.
A plot was uncovered to assassinate the Bolshevik revolutionary Christian Rakovsky in London.
Five men were burned in an explosion at the Darton Main Colliery in Barnsley.
30 MAY 1925
According to a French semi-official statement, the British Note regarding the French reply to the German Security Pact proposals gives entire satisfaction to the French contentions on essential points.
Following a debate in the Chamber of Deputies, a vote of confidence was passed in the French Government on the Moroccan question.
The Prince of Wales was acclaimed by thousands of Basutos at a pitso at Maseru. He was welcomed by the Paramount Chief, and, after listening to addresses, presented a gold-mounted walking-stick to the Paramount Chief and silver-mounted sticks to several other native leaders.
In several districts of New South Wales serious damage has been caused by floods.
Mr Alan J. Cobham, flying from Croydon to Zurich and back in the course of a single day, and without a stop on either journey, set up a record for light aeroplanes. The speed of his machine was about 80 miles an hour, and the petrol consumption 54 gallons.
After describing the wants in the Liberal movement, Mr Lloyd George, speaking at a meeting of the Welsh Liberal Association at Swansea, emphasised the need of breaking down land monopoly.
Following negotiations between the representatives of the National Federation of Building Trades’ Operatives and the Middle Ward Committee of the Lanarkshire County Council as to the erection of 100 steel houses of the Weir type, the former decided that the operatives employed on the brick-building schemes in the district should be withdrawn.
29 MAY 1925
The Poor Law Emergency Provisions Continuance (Scotland) Act, the Importation of Pedigree Animals Act, and the Rent Restriction Continuation Act received the Royal Assent in the House of Lords. The Law Agents (Scotland) Bill was read a third time and passed.
Before rising for Whitsuntide, the House of Commons disposed of the Liberal vote of censure on the Speaker, rejecting it by an overwhelming majority. Unionists and Socialists voted solidly against the motion.
The Home Secretary stated in the House of Commons that alien delegates to a Communist conference to be held in Glasgow would be refused admission if found arriving at British ports, and any landing without permission would be deported.
Mr J. Ramsay MacDonald, M.P., received the freedom of Edinburgh.
The Court Circular announces that knighthoods were conferred by the King yesterday on Mr Justice Bateson and Mr Justice Wright.
In the French Chamber, M. Painlevé, the Premier, explained the policy of the Government in regard to Morocco.
28 MAY 1925
By 264 votes to 81, the House of Commons decided to adopt the report of the Barnes Committee on the claims of the professional ex-ranker officers to increased pensions. In a discussion of Mr Sidney Webb’s motion on the overlapping and consequent costliness of local administrative bodies, the Minister of Health announced the Government’s determination to press forward with the reform of the Poor Law as soon as possible and to circulate a draft Bill among local authorities.
The Unionist campaign in the Ayr Burghs by-election opened with a meeting addressed by Captain Elliot, Under-Secretary of Health for Scotland. Mr W. M. R. Pringle was adopted as the Liberal candidate. The Budget is the issue upon which the election will be mainly fought.
Lord Oxford spoke on the future of Liberalism at a luncheon held in his honour at the National Liberal Club, London.
27 MAY 1925
In the House of Lords the Poor Law Emergency Provisions Continuance (Scotland) Bill was read a second time.
The House of Commons discussed a Vote of £96,000,000 for the Ministry of Pensions. Complaints were heard against the administration of the Department and against the system of final awards, both of which, however, found supporters. Replying to the debate, the Minister of Pensions said that, like their predecessors in office, the Government intended to maintain the essential principles of the Warrant and the Pensions Act. They could not alter the present system of final awards.
The Queen celebrated her 58th birthday. A family luncheon was held at Buckingham Palace.
Impressive scenes were witnessed at the funeral service of the late Earl of Ypres at Westminster Abbey.
A critical position has arisen in Scotland over the erection of Weir steel houses.
Sir John Gilmour, Secretary for Scotland, opened the new sanatorium at East Fortune, Haddingtonshire. The sanatorium is the result of a combined effort by the seven south-eastern counties of Scotland.
Consideration of the Allotments Bill was completed by a Standing Committee of the House of Commons.
M. Caillaux, the French Minister of Finance, foreshadows heavy taxation for a number of years.
M. Berger, an official of the French Royalist organisation Action Française, was assassinated in Paris.
26 MAY 1925
In the House of Lords a debate took place on the growth of Civil Service expenditure.
The Finance Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons by 331 votes to 139.
The Mental Deficiency Amendment Bill passed Committee stage and was read a third time in the House of Commons.
Mr Baldwin, broadcasting an Empire Day message from 2LO, said it should be the ambition of all to pay at least one visit, however brief, to Britain overseas.
An account is given of the steps taken by the Egyptian police to track the alleged murderers of the Sirdar.
The Duke of Northumberland has been appointed a Knight of the Garter.
The Right Honourable Sir John Baird, C.M.G., D.S.O., has been created a Baron.
25 MAY 1925
The King laid the foundation stone of the new building which is being erected in London for Lloyd’s.
Japan has been revisited by an earthquake disaster, this time of a more localised nature but of great severity. Several townships are reported to have been destroyed by the shock and by the fires which followed, and hundreds of souls perished.
Forty-four persons were drowned when the Turkish steamer Keriman foundered in the Black Sea.
In a lifeboat disaster on the Breton coast twenty-seven men perished.
The Prince of Wales crossed the Orange Free State border for the second stage of his South African tour.
A verdict in the Malabar murder trial, in which nine persons were charged in connection with the death of Mr Bawla and the wounding of an Indian singing-girl, Mumtaz Begum, has been reached. Three of the accused were sentenced to death, four transported for life, while the remaining two were acquitted.
The conversion of the Jews was the principal subject discussed by the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland.
24 MAY 1925
A large earthquake was confirmed in North Tajima, Japan, which had led to many deaths and damage to property.
London County Council said that it was planning to construct a large number of single room tenements to rehouse the poor following slum clearances throughout the city.
23 MAY 1925
The death of the Earl of Ypres was announced.
The Prevention of Unemployment Bill, a Socialist measure proposing to set up outside the Cabinet and under the chairmanship of the Minister of Labour a Committee charged with investigating unemployment and preparing work-providing schemes year by year, was rejected in the House of Commons by 216 votes to 118.
The second Court of the season was held at Buckingham Palace.
In an Empire Day message signed by the Marquis of Linlithgow and Sir Cyril S. Cobb, the Navy League urged the Government to lay down, within the next few years, a sufficiency of cruisers to provide an adequate margin of security against all measurable risks.
The Prince of Wales held a great reception of native tribesmen at Umtaia, Cape Province. The leading chief delivered a loyal address, ending with the words, “Sun, shine on us,” and the title of “Shining Sun” has been conferred on His Royal Highness.
The new Belgian Government formed by M. Van de Vyvere was defeated in the Chamber by a resolution of no confidence, moved by M. Max, Liberal, and carried by 98 votes to 73. The Ministry has resigned.
The press reported that Amundsen had reached the North Pole and was on his way back.
22 MAY 1925
In the House of Lords, the second reading of the Parliament (Qualification of Peeresses) Bill was negatived by 80 votes to 78.
Transport policy, road development and the cheaper use and wider application of electricity were the chief topics of debate in the House of Commons.
The Poor-Law Emergency Provisions (Scotland) Bill passed Report stage and its third reading after a sitting of the Commons that lasted until six o’clock in the morning.
The Silk Association of Great Britain and Ireland expressed satisfaction with the new silk-tax proposals.
The final selection of a Unionist candidate for Ayr Burghs will be made today at a meeting of the Central Council of the Ayr Burghs Unionist Association. The names before the council are Lieutenant-Colonel T. C. Moore, C.B.E., who was defeated at Coatbridge at the last election, and Mr D. G. Somerville, who was defeated at Barrow-in-Furness. The Liberals have resolved to contest the seat.
Lord Wledisloe, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, told the Council of Agriculture that it is hoped to introduce next year an agricultural policy that will command a large measure of general consent. A Bill on the marking of imported agricultural produce will be introduced this session.
Last evening’s bulletin regarding the Earl of Ypres stated that he was gradually sinking.