EIGHT HOURS BILL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 1, 1 July 1926, Page 9

EIGHT HOURS BILL

PASSES SECOND READING

LABOUR ATTACK ON PREMIER.

x Australian-New Zealand Cable Assn.) LONDON, 29th June.

The House of Commons passed the second reading of the Miners' Eight Hours Bill by 355 votes to 163, after stormy debate, Labour members constantly and angrily interrupting.

Amongst other charges made against the Government, Mr. J. Westwood asked if Mr. Baldwin had 200,000 shares in Baldwins Ltd., and whether he interfered with the Coal Commission's report by dictating -what should appear. Other Labour members asked if a member who had such a financial interest in the coal problem should be allowed to vote.

When the uproar had subsided Mr. Baldwin said that ■it was an unqualified misrepresentation to say that ho interfered with the Commission's report.

It was true he held shares in Balil.vins Ltd., which represented the bulk

of his investments. He could have become very wealthy during the war from that block of shares, but had declined and refused to invest abroad. Ho had received nothing from the •shares for'five years, and did not

expect to,

The conclusion of the Premier speech was drowned in a storm s cheers and counter-cheers.