BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8254, 6 October 1906, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

MINERS AND THE EIGHT HOURS BILL.

Received October 5, 8,55 a.m. LONDON, October 4.. The Miners' Federation Confer once, sitting at Swansea, has approved the Bight Honrs Bill as read a second time'in the House of Commons this year. Several members denounced Mr Gladstone for appointing the Russe|l Rea Committee as an attempt to proorastinate and tc enable some members to evade their pledges. Mr Brace, the member for South Glamorgan, declared that the appointment of the ooir mittee was intended to strengthen the Government's case. (The committee refoired to in the above message was appointed in July. Its object, as stated by Mr Gladstone, is "to enquire into the probable economic offeut of such a limitation of the hours of labour." Mr Russell Rea, M.P., is chairman, and the members of the committee ace: Sir A. Agnew, Mr Cox, Professor of Mining hi the Royal College of Science. Mr Crombie, M.P., Sir K. Gitfeu, Lord Ulontawe, and Mr Redmayhe, Professor of Mining at Birmingham University).

ATTITUDE OP THE RAILWAY MEN.

Received October 5, 8.55 a.m. LONDON, October 4. The Rail way men's Congress, by 36 votes to 17, refused to withdraw from the Labour party or to permit a bal'ofc of members on the subjeot. Mr Snowdeu denies Mr Bell's statement about his journalistic earnings. (The statement objected to by Mr Snowden was made by Mr Bell on Wednesday. Mr Bell said Mr John Burns waa attached when be joined the Ministry for accepting two thousand a year, yei Mr Snowden, a Sooialist, and muinber for Blackburn, who was not much in the House, made from fifteen hundred to two tbouands pounds a year by writing forthe nowpapers. Again, the Labour Party's representatives were unable to go to the colonies owing to the shortness of tbo recess, yet Mr Ramsay MacDouald hed gone because he represented two Liberal newspapers).

VIEWS OP MR WATSON

Received October 5, 10.30 a.m. MELBdURNE, October 5. Mr J. C. Watson, leader of the Federal Labour Paity, is not surprised that steps are being taken in Britain to secure solidarity of the various sections there representing Labour. Thsy will, he says, accomplish nothing otherwise. He disagrees with Mr Bell's statement that it jrould be hypocrisy to nominate capitalists. The Australian Labour Party would welcome those outside the ranks of manual labour if they were in accord with the party's views.