Tag: 100 Years Ago

1 AUGUST 1923

The House of Commons unanimously adopted a motion by Stanley Baldwin, the Prime Minister, for the reinstatement of the suspended Glasgow Labour members.

Arthur Evans, the National Liberal MP for East Leicester, wrote to David Lloyd George, the former Prime Minister, stating his intention to join the Unionist party. Lloyd George replied saying that he hoped Evans would allow his constituents the chance to have a by-election to express their opinion on the move.

Heavy loss of life was reported following a rail crash in Germany. It happened as a night express train from Hamburg was run in two sections due to a heavy passenger load, with the two sections crashing killing 47 people.

30 JULY 1923

The German Government issued a proclamation appealing to the people to maintain calm and order in face of the present economic crisis in the country. They also announced a taxation scheme which placed the burden of financing passive resistance in the Ruhr on the taxpayers of unoccupied Germany.

An explosion took place at Maltby Main Colliery in Yorkshire, entombing 27 miners. One dead body was recovered, but the authorities said that nothing could be done to reach the others.

Eight miners were killed at an explosion at Gartshore No 3 Colliery near Kilsyth.

Hull dockers decided by a large majority to return to work and end their industrial dispute.

28 JULY 1923

Stanley Baldwin, the Prime Minister, said at a meeting at the Scottish Conservative club that they must fight against socialism saying that it could be countenanced by deliberate, vigorous and intelligent propaganda. He said that the greatest bulwark against socialism was the loyal and united Unionist party.

The Unionist candidate, Charles Henry Wilson, won the by-election in Leeds Central which had been caused by the death of the current Unionist MP Arthur Wellesley Willey. He secured 13,085 votes, with Labour’s Henry Slesser securing 11,359 votes and the Liberal candidate Gilbert Stone securing 3,026 votes.

The second reading of the Education (Scotland) Bill was agreed to in the House of Commons.

11 JULY 1923

The report stage of the Rent Restrictions Bill was concluded in the House of Commons.

After debating the Wages Agreement for three hours, no vote was taken by the Miners’ Federation in their Bournemouth conference, with the decision being deferred until tomorrow.

By more than a two thirds majority the boilermakers rejected the employers’ terms for the settlement of their industrial dispute.

10 JULY 1923

Agreement in principle was reached at the Lausanne Conference between the Allies and the Turks. The remaining outstanding points were referred to the respective Governments for discussion.

At the first annual delegate conference of the Transport and General Workers’ Union a resolution was passed refusing support to the dockers on strike and requesting their return to work.

20 JUNE 1923

The Finance Bill passed through the Committee in the House of Commons.

The Education (Scotland) Bill was read in the House of Lords for the second time.

The eruption of Mount Etna continued with 32,000 people already rendered homeless.

19 JUNE 1923

A number of concessions in the matter of the reassessment of house property for taxation were announced in the House of Commons by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.

A Turkish transport carrying a cargo of guns from Thrace was seized by the British destroyer Splendid in the Sea of Marmora.

A demonstration of the working of the totalisator machine in betting transactions was given before members of the Committee on the Taxation of Betting.

18 JUNE 1923

Stanley Baldwin, the Prime Minister, said in a speech made in Oxford that civilisation was cracking and the whole world was looking at the British Empire and the United States for salvation.

The situation in Bulgaria looked unstable following a coup which had led to the execution of Aleksandar Stamboliyski, the country’s President. The country of Serbia also looked unstable and there was concern in Romania about the political situation.

16 JUNE 1923

A special committee of the Labour Party which was looking into prohibition said that there was no evidence that the British people would accept such a move.

The funeral of Princess Christian took place at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, in the presence of the Royal Family.

The death of Aleksandar Stamboliyski, the President of Bulgaria forced out in a coup, was announced.

15 JUNE 1923

The Government defended in the House of Commons the decision of the Viceroy to India who had overriden the Indian Legislative Council on the question of the salt tax increase.

The Belgian Government tendered their resignation to King Albert following a dispute raised in Parliament on the ‘Flamandisation’ of Ghent University. The King accepted their resignation.

The Caledonian Railway Bill was read for a second time in the House of Lords.