EIGHT HOURS BILL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 138, 5 March 1908, Page 7

EIGHT HOURS BILL.

THE MINING INDUSTRY. INCREASE IN THE COST OF COAL. DY TELEGRAPH —rRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. i London, March 3. The Shipping Federation, the railway companies, sOme of tho gas companies, several chambers of commerce, and other largo consumers of coal are organising opposition, to tho Miners' Eight Hours Bill, on the ground tliat tho limitation proposed will increase the cost of coal. PROVISIONS OF THE BILL. The Coal Mines (Eight Hours) .Bill was introduced bv the Govornment in the Hoviso of Commons on August 1, 1907, in fulfilment of Mr. Gladstone's promise to bring in such a mcasuro in 1907, if only to form the basis of a discussion with a viow to legislation in the immediate future. The measuro was not procoeded with. ' The Bill, which was introduced by Mr. Gladstone, and supported by Mr. H. Samuel, was described as a measure to amend, tho Coal Mines Regulation Acts, 18S7 ,to 1905. The first clause provided that, "subject to the provisions of this Act, a workman shall not be below ground in a mine for the pose of : his < work, and of going to .and from his work, or be allowed to be below* groundfor that purpose, for more than the time fixed bv this section'during any consecutive twentyfour hours. - The time fixed by this .section is, during tho period beginning on the commencement of this' Act ana, ending on the thirtieth day of June, 1909, nine hours, and thereafter eight hours. ; - "For the purposes of this Act, the expression 'workman' means any person, employed in a mine below ground, who is not an official of the mine or a furnacc-man. 'onsetter, horsekeeper, or pumpman; and any, body of workmen whose hours for beginning and terminating'work in -the mine are approximately the; same shall bo deemed' to be a shift of workmen." ' •. . < . Power-is given to extend the honrs of work on "not more than sixty days in any year by. not more than one hour a day," and a register must be kept of all cases of such 1 extension. ' • y Power to suspend the Act. in event of emergency is given by Clause, 4, which reads as follows: "His Majesty may,' in the event pf war or' of imminent national < danger, or great emergency, or in the event of'any grave economic disturbance . duo .to the demand for coal exceeding the supply available at the' time, by Order in Council suspend tho operation of this Act to such' exteyt and for such period as- may be named in the Order, cither as .re-spects-all coal mines ,or any olass of coal mines." ' • '