LEAP PAINT DANGERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18742, 23 June 1924, Page 7

LEAP PAINT DANGERS.

BILL m THE COMMONS. (Received 6.5 p.m.) Heater. _ ' " LONDON June 20 In the House of Commons Mr. R.-J, LVyies, Labour member for Lancashire, moved' the second reading of the Lead Paint Bill. This provides for the ratification of a resolution of the International Labour Convention adopted at Geneva in November, 1921. It proposes to prohibit the use of white lead paint for interior painting after' November 19, 1927. The mover said that both the master painters and the men favoured the bill. He quoted statistics showing th* fatalities due to lead poisoning. ■ Mr. E. A. Harney, Liberal member for South Shields, in moving the rejection of the bill, declared that there was no substitute for lead paint. : . Mr. E. C. Grenfell, Conservative member for the City ; of .London, in seconding the rejection of the .measure alleged that Mr Thomas, director.of the International Labour Bureau, was biased in favour of the zinc industry. He contended that the bill would result in an increase in the cost or zinc, which would be used instead of white lead. It would increase the cost of painting and throw white lead workers out of employment. ! ■ . : Mr. Harney withdrew his amendment and the, bill was read a second, time. ■ Mr. Arthur Henderson, Secretary for Homo Affairs, strongly deprecated Mr. Grcnfell's attack on Mr. Thomas. He repudiated the suggestion of bias ; : and said that is clause 1 of the bill enacting , the prohibition of the use of lead paint for interior painting were deleted m { Commit- : tee he would still -proceed with the remainder of the bill providing for the regulation of the use of whitehead paint. ■■ ; ..