CHALLENGE BY THE LORDS

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1930, Page 11

CHALLENGE BY THE LORDS

AMENDMENTS TO COAD BILL

REFUSED BY GOVERNMENT

CHOICE OF THE MINISTRY

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Pee. 0 p.m, London, July 16. The House of Lords by 108 votes to 36 carried Lord Salisbury’s “spreadover” amendment to the Coal Mines Bill, which the Government refused to accept. It also defeated without a division a motion for & conference of both houses. The Lord Chancellor said the Government could not accept the amendment, and insistence upon it would cause widespread provocation and resentment. Lord Salisbury said the amendment mainly concerned preference by the Lords for the spreadover of 90 hours a fortnight instead of a rigid seven and a half hours daily. The spreadover was optional, and .the miners were by no means unanimously opposed to it. The Chancellor replied that the proposal in any case could operate only for eight months, and it was therefoie not worth the trouble it would cause. The House of Lords’ decision places the Government in the position of. having to choose between acceptance of its proposal or the abandonment of the Bill. The Ministry will probably be driven to • the method of “amending the amendment” if it can induce the miners to

2,0T66. °The opinion is generally expressed that a way will be found to save the Bill, but the Daily Herald describes it as the most serious challenge. to the supremacy of the popular will since the House of Lords rejected the Budget m 1909.