BRITISH UNEMPLOYED

Hokitika Guardian, 7 February 1930, Page 5

BRITISH UNEMPLOYED

INSURANCE BILL

[United Press Association.—H3y Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.]

RUGBY, Feb. 5

Shortly after midnight, the House of Commons accepted, without division, the Government’s proposals for a compromise with the House of Lords on the Unemployment Insurance Bill. The Government’s proposal, which was endorsed by a full meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party yesterday morning, was to accept the House of ■] i rds' amerfcTement committing the operation of the bill to one year, and then to pass another amendment extending the limit to three years. In announcing \ the Governments decision, the Prime Minister, Mr Ramsay MacDonald, declared that the House of Lords’ amendment was an encroachment on the House of Commons’ privileges, and an interference with the rights of the Commons to determine how money was to be spent. Mr Winston Churchill ,on behalf of the Conservative Party, agreed with the Government’s decision, but emphasised that under the Parliament Act the House of Lords retained bargaining power. I hev could, and should, bring into legislation an advisory element. Sir 11. Samuel announced the Liberal Party’s assent, and said that the Liberals would always support the privileges of the House of Commons. The dispute in this case, however, was so small that the Bill could not be sacrificed.

Lord Pnrmoor, for the Government, moved in the House of Lords to-day the compromise amendment passed by the House of Commons. He said the compromise amendment did not delete the Time limit imposed by the House of Lords upon the operation of the bill, but it extended the limit of one year to June 1933.

Lord Salisbury, for the Conservatives, said that be did not intend to ask the House to refuse the motion, which was thereupon passed without a division. The deadlock between the Lords and Commons over this matter thus ended.