Tag: 100 Years Ago

27 APRIL 1923

The media reported on the marriage of the Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon at Westminster Abbey. It was announced that the King had bestowed upon the Duchess the dignity of becoming a Princess.

The shipbuilding dispute continued with boilermakers locked out of the docks, but the joiners and plumbers had agreed to return to work.

A meeting took place between the Miners’ Federation and the coalmine owners, with the operators of the mines stating they couldn’t afford any pay increase.

26 APRIL 1923

Viscount Astor stated in the House of Lords that there needed to attention to the lack of proper housing, the need for slum clearance and for better town planning.

The Government secured a 200 majority in the House of Commons for the Housing Bill.

The Irish Free State announced that certain citizens of Dublin would be allowed to own firearms.

Three members of the Irregulars involved at the incident at Kerry Cave were executed.

25 APRIL 1923

Warren Harding, the President of the United States, announced that he thought the United States should participate in the Court of International Justice.

Neville Chamberlain, the Minister of Health, spoke in the House of Commons to support the Government’s Housing Bill. He said that it was the “starting apparatus” for letting private enterprise build properties for the working class and help people of moderate means to own their own homes.

23 APRIL 1923

The Lausanne Conference met again following its dissolution earlier on in the year.

In the presence of Belgian and British representatives, the foundation stone was laid at the Zeebrugge Memorial.

The Norfolk farm strike was settled.

21 APRIL 1923

The Government outlined the cost of the various Budgetary cuts in taxation, with the individual items costing:

Postal Reductions – £1.8 million

Telephone Reductions – £840,000

Reduction of Beer Duty – £13 million

Reduction of Table Water Duty – £160,000

Abolition of Duty on Cider – £90,000

Income Tax Reduction – £19 million

20 APRIL 1923

A provision settlement was reached in the dispute of agricultural workers in Norfolk.

The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill was read a Second Time in the House of Lords.

Sugar prices continued to rise with injunction proceedings undertaken by the US Government with regards to trading in futures.

The value of the German mark collapsed with the cost of living increasing and the number of exports falling. The German Government had ordered the printing of notes to fund the wages of those living in the French occupied Ruhr Valley, a project which the media reported to be unsustainable.

19 APRIL 1923

A debate took place in the House of Lords on the controversial plans to demolish the historic Whitgift Hospital in Croydon to allow for traffic improvements to be made.

The parliamentary Labour party went to visit the French occupied Ruhr Valley in Germany, saying that it was essential that France and Germany submit their requests and demands to an International Tribunal.

Details of the wedding arrangements of Prince Albert and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon were announced, with the event taking place at Westminster Abbey on 26 April 1923.

18 APRIL 1923

The Minister of Agriculture said that the assessment on agricultural land would be reduced, saying it was “the biggest concession to agriculture for a generation”.

Dan Breen, a leading member of the Irregulars, was captured by Irish Free State troops.

Lady Astor’s Intoxicating Liquor Bill to prevent the sale of alcohol to those under 18 passed the Committee stage in the House of Commons.

17 APRIL 1923

At the budget, the Chancellor announced reductions in income tax, corporation tax, beer duty, table water duty, postal rates, telephone rentals and call charges.

The press reported that the health of Andrew Bonar Law, the Prime Minister was failing and that there were efforts being made to find a successor.

The Irish Free State Government said that although the campaign of the Irregulars appeared to be near collapse, they would continue their work to tackle the elements of revolt which were still taking place.

It was announced that the entire Yugoslavia cabinet had resigned.

16 APRIL 1923

Raymond Poincaré, the Prime Minister of France, speaking at Dunkirk said: “The pledges which Germany would not give, and which certain of our Allies with the best will in the world considered useless, we thought indispensable. What we have seen in the Ruhr has shown us that we were not mistaken”.

The press reported emotional scenes at Lochboisdale in Scotland where hundreds of local residents were setting off to start new lives in Canada.

The French Government confirmed that three deserting French soldiers had attacked a sleeping sub-lieutenant on a train after robbing him, then threw his body onto the tracks. The military officer survived the attack and the soldiers were later arrested.