BRITISH COAL STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19376, 10 July 1926, Page 11

BRITISH COAL STRIKE.

CONFERENCE OF MINERS HOPES OF MEN'S LEADERS. EIGHT-HOURS DAY BILL. MEASURE BECOMES LAW. LABOUR MEMBERS PROTEST By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 10 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. July 9. A movement is on foot to have a special conference of miners' delegates summoned. Some of the leaders of the men hope the result will be a declaration by the miners in favour of the report of the Royal Commission as a basis for settlement. The Coal Miners Eight Hours Bill was read a third time in the House of Lords, and afterwards it received the Royal assent. When the final stage of the Rill was reached, Lord Parmoor and Lord Arnold discussed the Bill at length. Viscount Cecil walked out, leaving Lord Balfour the solo occupant of the Treasury benches. Finally Lord Salisbury walked in and angrily moved the closure, saying it was obvious what the opponents were doing. Lord Arnold persisted and a group of members of the House of Commons standing at the bar cheered him. The Lord Chancellor said he would put the motion on his own responsibility. The members of the House of Commons kept up interjections, the Lord Chancellor finally ordering the clearance of the bar, whereupon the members of the House of Commons slowly dispersed. The closure was carried by 44 votes to 4. Lord Arnold demanded a division on the third reading but ho did not persist, and the Bill was read a third time without a division. Members of the House of Commons were then summoned to the House of Lords to hear the Royal warrant read. This was punctuated by coughs, subdued remarks and cries of protest from a group of miner members of the House of Commons. A heated incident followel as the members of the House of Commons were filing back through the lobby. Conservatives and Labourites engaged in lively verbal interchanges. A Conservative suddenly turned, shouting, " Did you say that of me," and struck out at a member who was behind him. Other members intervened and prevented a conflict. Mr. D. Kirkwood (Labour), later sought to adjourn the House to discuss the incident, but he was ruled out.