2 MAY 1931, Page 2

Of other Parliamentary business, the Upper House has dealt drastically

with the Agricultural Land Bill. The clauses dealing with large-scale farming experiments and demonstration farms were defeated last week. The County Councils already have large powers in this sphere, and some of them use them admirably. Then the Clause giving to the Minister of Agriculture very wide powers of action and still more of spending in regard to small- holdings was rejected. The House of Commons pro- ceeded with the Franchise Bill. After the ridicule that was poured last week upon the Clause intended to restrict the use of motor cars on polling days the House agreed good-temperedly to the Clause which will attempt to reduce election expenses. On Friday, April 24th, a second reading was given to a Bill regulating the administration of Sharing-out Clubs, in which the subscriptions of wage- earners are too often lost. On Wednesday the Lords discussed the behaviour of certain" newspapers that had yielded to sordid sensationalism at the time of the trial of the murderer, Rouse. The Lord Chancellor deprecated fresh legislation which might hamper valuable publicity. India