BRITISH COAL BILL

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 75, 21 December 1929, Page 11

BRITISH COAL BILL

SECOND READING CARRIED GOVERNMENT’S NARROW ESCAPE MAJORITY OF EIGHT VOTES The second reading of the Coal Mines Bill was carried in the House of Commons by 281 votes to 373. There was great excitement during the division, a strong attack on the Bill by Mr, Lloyd George having revealed the Liberal Party’s attitude to the measure. '

(British Official Wireless.)

(Rec. December 20, 5.5 p.m.)

Rugby, December 19.

The House of Commons resumed the debate on the second reading of the Coal Mines Bill, which had been adjourned from Tuesday. Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister on Tuesday moved an amendment for the rejection of the measure, while Sir Herbert Samuel, the Liberal spokesman, adversely criticised its provisions for a marketing scheme. Sir Herbert Samuel put certain questions to the Government which were answered by Mr. Ben Turner, Minister of Mines. These replies were considered yesterday outside the House by the Liberals. Mr. Lloyd George’s Speech. When the debate was continued today, Mr. Lloyd George, the Liberal Leader, made his eagerly-awaited speech. He declared that the Bill contained the worst features of Socialism and individualism without the redeeming features of either. Two provisions of the Bill of which he approved were those relating to the reduction of hours and the establishment of a National Wages Board. Nine-tenths of the Bill concerned the fixation of prices and the limitation of output. He contended that there were two ways of meeting the deficit on the working of the coal mines. One was the crude method of putting up prices. The other was the method of .reorganising the industry so as to save in production and distribution. The latter was the method that would benefit the miners and mine owners, and the country as a whole.

Crude Method Chosen. The Government, Mr. Lloyd George continued, had chosen the crude, burdensome method, easy but pernicious, of merely putting flp the prices. An alternative to putting up prices was the grouping of the mines in such a way as to save the costs of production and‘distribution. He now asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Government would undertake to introduce ‘into the Bill in Committee complete provisions to compel the grouping of the mines. Mr. Ben Turner’s answer to Sir Herbert Samuel’s question on this point on Tuesday had been that the Government had power in the Bill to appoint Commissioners to draw up amalgamation schemes. Mr. Lloyd George insisted that the provisions for compulsory grouping must be in the Bill itself. This matter was vital, and the Liberals must reserve to themselves complete freedom to deal with the matter in Committee. EFFECTS OF DEARER COAL (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Rec. December 20, 9.15 p.m.) London, December 19. In his criticism of the Coal Mines Bill, Mr. Lloyd George said, it was an owner’s measure pure and simple, its object being the raising of prices and the limiting of output. He estimated that the Bill would increase the cost of coal by 3/6 a ton, which would disastrously 'affect all exporting industries. Even an advance of 2/6 a ton would add £600,000 to the costs of the cotton trade, which already was in a bad way. It was trying to vitalise coalmining by a transfusion of blood from other industries already anaemic, while for the people it would be equivalent to a hearth tax. Germany’s experience showed that a grouping of mines could be effected without increasing coal prices or reducing miners’ wages. Mr. Churchill's Criticism. Mr. Churchill said the measure had been mostly aptly described as a Dear Coal Bill. It was a deliberate attempt to levy a new indirect tax on the public for the benefit of sectional interests. It would have been fairer and more honest if Mr. Snowden had imposed this in the Budget. The money could then have been distributed in accordance with the conditions the Government imposed. Instead, they were handing over the power to extract 30 to 40 millions a year from the people to the mine-owners. It was a Bill for compulsory profiteering. Prime Minister’s Reply. Mr. MacDonald, rising amid cheers to conclude the debate, observed that Mr. Churchill had not lost his romantic imagination, but he personally was convinced that the situation which the opposition tried to create was more political than related to the merits of the coal-mining problem. The Prime Minister recalled that there bad been failure after failure to extricate the coal industry from its difficulties. The House had to remember that before the trade could be reorganised there must be some new resources at its command. The late Secretary of Mines took the position that as long as a miner got 48/6 a week they had no business to increase wages. If that was likely to increase the price of coal to the consumer by a penny that was absurd. Until the House faced the question of the price of coal there would be no solution of the problem. It was essential that a properly safeguarded body should be allowed to strike the real economic price of coal. If the scheme of rationalisation was pushed ahead without delay, the problem of.distribution to the individual consumer would be soluble. The effect of the Bill would be to hasten that day. Any amendments in committee designed to strengthen the Bill would be considered by the Government. The Division. Great excitement prevailed as the division was being taken, because Mr. Lloyd George’s attack had shown that accommodation between the Government and the Liberals was impossible, and the majority therefore must be narrow. The division resulted in the second

reading being carried by 281 votes to 273. . . „„

The Government's vote included 275 Labourites, two Liberals (Mr. G. C. M. Mander and Sir William Edge), and four Independents (Messrs. Neil Maclean, J. Devlin, T. J. S. Harbison, and E. Scrymgeour). The Labourites’ party strength is 289, tbe remaining 14 being accounted for as follows: —Absent and paired in favour of the Bill 10, tellers 2, occupying official positions disentitling them to vote 2. The minority, 273. consisted of about 230 Conservatives, more than 40 Liberals, and one independent. Dr. E. Graham Little. This is the highest vote the Conservatives have given in the present Parliament, the previous best being 222. Only 14 Conservatives were absent, and not accounted for. Ten paired against the Bill. Five Liberals abstained from voting—Mr. W. Runciman, Sir Donald Maclean, Mr. Leif Jones, Mr Percy Harris, and Mr. Duncan Millar. The announcement of the result was greeted by loud Conservative shouts of “Resign 1” A MORAL DEFEAT (Rec. December 20, 11.35 p.m.) London, December 20. Tbe “Daily Telegraph’s” political contributor says that although the Government scraped through the Coal division, it was the opinion in the lobby that its proposals suffered moral defeat. The beggarly majority of eight in support of the principal measure of the session demonstrated clearly that Parliament distrusts the Government’s handling of the coal problem.