MINING BILL DEBATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13866, 28 September 1908, Page 5

MINING BILL DEBATE.

A POINT OF ORDER. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Sunday. A peculiar decision on a point of order has been given in the House by the Chairman of Committees (Mr. R. McKenzie). The Hon. A. R. Guinness had moved an amendment to the Mining Bill, having the effect of adding to section 248 of the principal Act a new sub-clause giving miners working under ground the right to at least half-an-hour for crib time. Sir Joseph Ward raised a point of order that a clause to the same effect was included in the Hours of Underground Workers Bill, and, therefore, could not be moved as a- new clause in the Bill then before the House. The-Hon.. A. R. Guinness protested against this contention, and said there was no precedent for such a decision as was asked for. The Chairman, however, held that the point of order was good, and that the new sub-clause could not be moved. It has since been suggested outside the House that if this ruling is correct the objection raised by the Prime Minister can also be raised to clause 5 of the Hon. J. McGowan's Coal Mines Amendment Bill, when that measure is in committee. This clause, which was inserted by the Goldfields and Mines Committee, is precisely similar to the -hour crib, clause in the Hours of Underground Workers Bill, and it will be interesting to see if a Minister or any other member seekr to apply Mr. McKenzie's ruling, and have the Bill, thrown out.