THE COAL BILL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 39, 25 November 1937, Page 5

THE COAL BILL

UNIFICATION OF ROYALTIES. COMPULSORY EXPROPRIATION. GREATEST MEASURE IN HISTORY. (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) LONDON, November 24. The Coal Bill was read the second time in the House of Commons by 301 votes to 139. Sir John Simon (Chancellor of the Exchequer) emphasised the significance fo unification of royalties—transference to one public body of control and management hitherto divided between 4000 people. Defending the scheme for compensation for which the Bill provides, the Chancellor said the plan as it stood was the greatest measure of compulsory expropriation of private property which Parliament' had ever been asked to sanction. After unification, all the savings and profits made over royalties would return to industry, not into the Exchequer. As the loans for purchase were paid off, more and more would be available for the industry to level and reduce the royalty rates. As the miners’ wages were calculated on the sum left after the payment of royalties they would directly benefit. — British Official Wireless. A London cablegram dated November 12 stated The Government’s plans for the coal industry are embodied in the Coal Bill, 1937, which was issued last night. Provision is made for the unification of royalties under the ownership of the new Coal Commission. The reorganisation of the industry is furthered by a scheme for transferring to the commission the functions of the Coal Mines Reorganisation Commission and by varying the powers of compulsory amalgamation. The bill provides that each owner of principal coal hereditaments is to receive in compensation his proportion of £66,450,000, which, in accordance with the special tribunal’s finding, is to be paid, for the whole property.