MEAGRE MAJORITY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 150, 21 December 1929, Page 9

MEAGRE MAJORITY

SECOND READING PASSED

GOVERNMENT'S CLOSE CALL

United Press Association—By Electric Tele-

eraph—Copyright.

LONDON, 19th December.

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 ouSput. He estimated that the Bill would increase the cost of, coal by 3s Cd a ton, which would disastrously affect all exporting industries. Even an advance of 2s 6d 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 saia that the measure had been most 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 becu 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 irom the people to the mine-owners. It was a Bill for compulsory profiteering. PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY. Mi-. Mac Donald, rising amid cheers to conclude the debate, observed that Mr. Churchill had not lost his romantic imagination, but he personally was convinced that the sitnation 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 had 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. Tno late Secretary of Mines took the position that as long as a miner got 48s Gd 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 essenT i,\ a ProP erly 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 w.iuld be considered by the Government. THE DIVISION. Great excitement prevailed as the f 1 i VlSi°^, was bein S taken > because Mr. Lloyd George's attack had shown that accommodation between the Governand the Liberals was impossible, and the majority therefore must be narrow. The division resulted in the second reading being carried by 2SI votes to The Government's vote included 275 £L abourites, 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, the remaining 14 being accounted for as follows: Absent and paired in favour of the Bill 10, tellers -, occupying official positions disentitling them to vote 2.

oon n nunority» 273, consisted of about -.JU Conservatives, more than 40 Liberals, and one independent, Dr. E. Gral^ m n lttle- This i 3 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 votinc—Mr. W. Kun-

eiman, Sir Donald Maclean, Mr. Leif Joucs, Mr. Percy Harris, and Mr. Duncan Millar.

lhe announcement of the result was greeted by loud Conservative shouts of "Design!"