of his duties he
was "very strict," added, "Of course I make no difficulty the first
time, but if they come again within twelve months I want a good
reason."

Mr. HOGGE led a vigorous attack on the Ministry of Transport, which
he seemed to think had done very little for its money except to divert
the omnibuses at Westminster and so make it more difficult for
Members of Parliament to get to the House. Mr. KENNEDY JONES, who was
responsible for the innovation, rather hinted that in the case of some
Members this might not be altogether an objection. The brunt of the
defence fell upon Mr. NEAL, owing to the regretted absence of his
chief, who had been ordered away by his doctor for a much-needed
holiday and was reported to be recruiting himself on the golf-links.
If exercise is what he needs he could have got plenty of it in the
House to-night. Thanks to a persistent minority, Members were kept
tramping through the Lobbies for the best part of five hours, and did
not complete the full round of eighteen divisions until 2.15 A.M.

_Thursday, March 11th_.--Possibly the news of "direct action's" heavy
cropper at the Trade Union Conference had reached the Front Bench
before the PRIME MINISTER, in reply to a question regarding the
shortage of labour in the building trades, bluntly attributed it
to the stringency of the Trade Union regulations. When Mr. ADAMSON
attempted to shift the blame on to a Government Department Mr. LLOYD
GEORGE retorted that he would be perfectly ready to deal with any
peccant official if the Labour Leader for his part would deal with the
Trade Unions.

General SEELY repeated his familiar arguments in favour of an
independent Air Ministry, and Mr. CHURCHILL once more defended his
position, urging that it was better for the Air Service to have half
a Minister in the Cabinet than none at all. To a suggestion that
the lives of the Armenians might have been saved if we had sent more
aeroplanes to Asia Minor, Mr. CHURCHILL replied that unfortunately the
Armenian and Turkish populations were so intermingled that our bombs
would be dropping indiscriminately, like the rain, "upon the just and
unjust feller."

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Actor_ (_who has brought friend in for supper--to
lodging-house keeper_). "TUT, TUT, MA! CEASE YOUR APOLOGIES. WHAT IF
THERE IS BUT TWOPENNYWORTH OF FISH AND CHIPS? BRING IT FORTH. THIS IS
BOHEMIA!"

_Ma_ (_politely bowing to stranger_). "HOW