COAL STRIKE BILL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1396, 23 March 1912, Page 5

COAL STRIKE BILL.

-9 : SECOND READING CARRIEDMINIMUM CONDEMNED BY MR. BALFOUR. PRIME MINISTER IN REPLYBr Telceraph—Freaa Association-Oouyrlehl London, March 21. There was a packed house when the Prime Minister formally moved the second rending of tho Coal Mines Bill. Mr. Balfour received an ovation when, at the request of Mr. liunnr Law, Leader of the Opposition, he rose to move the rejection of the measure. Mr. Balfour said tho strike was the first formidable display of a policy which, if allowed, would be destructive of society. No American Trust had ever misused its powers of paralysing trade liko the miners' leaders had. The Premier had never mentioned the notorious fact of the agreement between tho men and the Scotch and the Welsh owners, ono which Mr. Churchill had countersigned on behalf of tho. Board of Trade. Tho Government, continued Mr. Balfour, was trying to pass a colossal resolution in forty-eight hours. If the Government was defeated there would be no dissolution, because it would be impossible to add the confusion of an election to tho horrors of a strike. The Opposition intended to vote against the Bill, and if the. Government was defeated it (tho Opposition) was prepared to 'take up tho responsibility. Tho Premier replied that Mr. Balfour's speech was worthy of a critical occasion, but propounded only barren negations. The Bill was only a preliminary to further steps which might be necessary— "which God forbid."