NEW BILL EXPLAINED

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 148, 19 December 1929, Page 9

NEW BILL EXPLAINED

NATIONAL MARKETING

AID TO EXPORT TEADE

British Official Wireless.

JtUGBY, 17th December.

Mr. W. Graham, President of the Board of Trade, moved in the House of Commons the second reading of the Coal Mines Bill. He said that he was satisfied from contact with many of the highest experts in the coal industry that if there was some kind of order instead of chaos, this country would win its way back in the European markets, not perhaps to the exeent it enjoyed in pre-war times, but to some #xtent.

The Bill provided, Mr. Graham explained, for the setting up of an inter(Ustrict or national scheme of marketing for the purpose of co-ordinating the district schemes. This national scheme was representative of the owners in all areas in Great Britain. It was the duty of this national body to arrive at what in their view was the aggregate British demand for coal, or the amount of coal over a reasonable period, which in their judgment could be sold at a remunerative level, and then they would make an allocation to the difterent districts of the country iv terms of what those districts had been doing. Part of the criticism of the Bill had been directed to the levy which the Bill provided could. bo made by the central body upon the district boards for the purpose of facilitating the sale of coal for export. The object was to enable the coal industry in Great Britain to compete at the world price, which for this purpose was the European price. It was not proposed to subsidise coal in the ordinary sense. With regard to the reduction of miners' hours from 8 to 7J, Mr. Graham said that with good-will this could be met without reduction c£ wages. Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister, former President of the Board of Trade, moved the rejection of the Bill.