LABOUR CENSURE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 17 November 1927, Page 5

LABOUR CENSURE

MOTION IN COMMONS THE PLIGHT OF THE COAL INDUSTRY. AN UNUSUAL SCENE. IBy Cable—Press Assn. — Copyright.) (Received 17, 1.20 p.m.) London, Nov. 16. In the House of Commons, the Labour censure motion drawing attention to the coal industry led to an unusual scene. Mr Ramsay MacDonald submitted the motion in a speech concluding: “We want to know what the Government is doing in the matter, and the president of the Board of Trade is not the Minister to answer.’’ “Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister, President of the Board of Trade, rose to reply and was greeted W’ith insistent cries for Mr Baldwin. Sir Philip was unable to make himself heard. Mr D. Kirkwood ,Labour, Dumbarton) shouted to the Speaker: “Cannot you move that Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister be no longer heard. This is a man’s job, not a boy’s.” The Speaker again called upon Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister, and tried to restoro order, but owing to the continued uproar he suspended the sitting for an hour. COMPLAINT OF NEGLECT. Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s motion complained of the Government’s neglect of increasing unemployment and distress in the coal-mining industry and failure to enforce efficient organisation. He contended that the situation was not due to the stoppages

in 1925 and 1926; it had been heralded by warning events of many years. Since last year’s settlement production had been increased and costs reduced with the result that British coal was at present selling in Germany at 4s a ton below the next competitor. The Government’s view last year he said, was that reduced wages and increased hours woluld save the industry, but this was absolutely falsified. The real problem was the transference of coal into oil power. In experiments. for this purpose Britain was far behind the continent. SQUANDERED SUBSIDY. The next problem, said Mr MacDonald, was the disposal of the coal industry. At present it was not suffering from continental competition but from the competition of British cutleries and exporters among themselves. The subsidy had been squandered on internal competition and not a penny was going to strengthen the idustry. If industrial efficiency meant allowing owners to market coal here and abroad at any price, labour and the Government were in the owners’ pockets. As far as hours and wages were concerned it meant nothing less than industrial slavery. Thousands of miners were unemployed and more pits were closing down weekly. In a short time miners would not be earning £1 a week. APPALLING CONDITIONS. The conditions in the mining districts were most appalling continued Mr MacDonald, families having to sell up their homes and public utility societies were going bankrupt. The owners were openingly refusing avi\ able employment to men belonging to the Labour party and the Miners ’ Federation. No wonder the miners were beginning to hanker after swifter methods than political action!— (A. and N.Z.)