NATIONAL INSURANCE BILL.

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 December 1911, Page 6

NATIONAL INSURANCE BILL.

LATEST CABLES

READ A THIRD TIME

L PBSIt PBBBk AMSiu'IA'UOft.—COPYBX«HX. j

LONDON, Dec) 7. The Insurance Bill was read a third time by 324 to 21.

LONDON, December 7.. The Insurance Bill has been v read a first time in the House of Lords. In the House of Commons, Lord Robert Cecil replied that the statements were absolutely true. Mr Bonar Law said that the Opposition were voting for the amendment but he would not participate further on the division. He was leaving the Government responsibility of passing the scheme before it had been properly discussed. He blamed the Hon. Lloyd George for becoming in his conduct of the measure the bitteest partisan. He made charges and misrepresentations more scandalous than any Minister had ever made. He concluded by declaring that the" interests of millions of people were thrust aside to enable the Government in 1912 to redeem a bond entered with the'Nationalists. The Premier in his reply taunted the Opposition with pusillanimity in not moving in rejection of the Bill. He commented scornfully on Tory lip service in the cause of insurance- All were voting to kill a vast scheme of social reform. The amendment was negatived by 320 to 225. Messrs Snowden, Lansbury and o'Grady, favoring a non contributory, scheme, challenged a division on the Bill. . :' ■ ~ The minority consisted of three Labourites, seven O'Briemtes and eleven Unionists. The rest of the Unionists abstained. Mr. H. W. Forster was emphatic that the amendment was not intended to wreck the measure inasmuch as his supporters approved of National insurance, but eighteen new clauses has been passed on a single night under the guillotine. ■■, x , t Mr. Ramsay MacDonald said that the choice now was: iNo legislation v legislation, which was only partially satisfactory. He did not doubt that the Trades Union believed that the lower ranks were unable to pay both insurance and union contributions. Never-the-less the bill would compel the Legislature to face problems not otherwise faced. Therefore he would vote for it despite its admitted faults. The Hon. Lloyd George's amendment was a shifty method of destroying the measure. Any mistakes were remediable. Reconsideration would imply the sacrifice of eight months labor. Matters had been arranged with the friendly societies and, although he had not affirmed that the doctors were satisfied, he contended it was impossible to meet their demands otherwise than in the manner proposed, He would'remind the opposition that the Government might have adopted, a compulsory non-con-tributory system. He added, significantly, that they could find the requisite money from the income tax. (Cheers). Ho strenuously argued that the Government had accepted a principle of contribution advocated by his opponent and therefore was entitled to protection against misrepresentation in the by-election. Amid excitement he accused Lord Robert Cecil of being a false witness against the Government in an election leaflet.