DYESTUFFS ACT ISSUE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 148, 20 December 1930, Page 9

DYESTUFFS ACT ISSUE

GOVERNMENT SURRENDERS

AMENDMENT ADOPTED

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, 19th December. After the House of Lords had insisted on their amendment to the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill, despite the action of the Government in rejecting it, the Honse of Commons was obliged to give effect to the decision. Labour members referred in hostile terms to the powers of the House of Lords. The House of Lords yesterday after- j noon insisted, without division, upon their amendment, which the House of Commons last night rejected, by six votes, to the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill, whereby the Dyestuffs Act would be continued for a further twelve months. . The measure then Tevertcd to the House of Commons. It was considered probable that compromise would be reached, as a further rejection of the House of Lords amendment would jeopardise other measures included in the schedule of the Continuance Bill. - Mr. W. Graham, President of the Board of Trade, announced to-day that the Government had no other course but to accept the decision of • the House of Lords regarding the Dyestuffs Act, otherwise the Rent Restrictions Acts, the legislation affecting miners' wages, and other Acts of Parliament would be lost. Moreover, the Government's majority in the House of Commons yesterday was narrow. "There is a temptation to enter upon, a discussion regarding the relations of the two Houses," lie added, "but we ourselves and the electorate outside will form our own judgments." (Loud Ministerial cheers.) NO OTHER COURSE. Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister (C), in reply, said that the Opposition was only too anxious to test the feeling of the electorate on the matter, but ho understood that a General Election in the near future had been described elsewhere as "political suicide" from the standpoint of the Labour Party. (Opposition cheers.) A desultory discussion regarding the powers of the House of Lords followed, and in it some Labour members accused the Imperial Chemical Industries and kindred firms of corrupting political life. Conservatives hotly denied the insinuation, and the House of Lords' amendment was agreed to without a division.