BRITISH POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 55, 24 February 1908, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

REDUCTION OK ARMAMENTS URGED. Received 23rd, 4.10 p.m. London, February 22. A meeting ot" the general committee of the National Literal Federation at Leicester unanimously urged the further reduction of armaments. A m i j°rity of the committee resolved in favor of the extension of franchise to women. ANTI-SWEATING BILL. FAVORABLY RECEIVED. Received 23rd, 43 p.m. j London, February 22. i *ln the House of ('ominous the Sweated ! Industries Bill, based on Victorian legw- j lation, was introduced and welcomed by j all sections of the House. The Hon. Herbert Gladstone. Home j Secretary, accepted a proposal to send | it to a select committee after the second I reading, but intimated that the Govern- I ment would not be committed to the j principle of a compulsory minimum : wage. Messrs C. P. Allen, E. A. Vil- ( tiers, and others eulogised the Austra- ; la sun regulations. j

The B>U pissed its second reading, and was sent to the select committee on Home work.

Mr. Gladstone, in the course of his remarks on the Bill, thought the Victorian system would stand the test of time, but so far it was untested. Some alteration of the machinery of the Victorian Act was unnecessary to make it a practical measure. Tt wonld be extremely hard to provide a workable remedy for sweating, but experimental legislation was justifiable, owing to the wretchedness of the workers anil their , conditions.

SCOTLAND SMALL HOLDINGS BILL. The second reading of the Scotland Small Holdings Bill, which is based on the lines of the English Act of IHO7. was opposed bv the Secretary for Scotland, and negatived by 184 to 44.