BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2145, 21 March 1908, Page 3

BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

the two-power standard

MINERS EIGHT HOURS BILL

United Press Association —Copyright LONDON, March 19. Lord Cawdor,' in the House of Lords, criticised tho Admiralty policy. Ho urged acceleration of tho construction of tho Rosytli naval base which ho insisted was necessary lor our unnssailed supremacy against any two of tho greatest naval Powers. Lord Tweedmouth replied that Mr Asquith’s recent declaration as to tho two-power standard was most decisive. In 1911 no combination of two first class powers would be equal to Britian’s strength. He preferred a standard equal to any reasonably probable combination of foreign powers. .Ho hoped to finish the Rosytli base in seven years. - Mr Clynes, an tho House of Commons, moved that the working day in all trades and industries should be limited by law to a maximum of eight hours. Mr Herbert Samuel said tho resolution was too sweeping. ''Agriculture would be unable to accept such a rigid rule. It would be impossible to insist on limitation in domestic service, textile trade, and shipping. Government meant to push the Miners’ Eight Hours Bill. Mr. Balfour said that if diminution of the output in the textile trade, why not diminution of coal production - . Mr A. Henderson advised the withdrawal of the resolution, but owing to objections the subject- was talked out. "