The Labour Defeat

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 34, 12 March 1930, Page 9

The Labour Defeat

United Press Assn.

— ■ COMBINED 0PP0SITI0W Government To Continue With Programme MUCH EXCITEMENT IN HOUSE

Elcctric Cable. Copyrigbt

ifieeeived This Day, 6 p.m.) LONDON, March 11 The Government is dealing with. a critical stage of the Coal Mines Bill this evening, of four and possibly five amendments to clause 2, Which eontains provisions for setting up a central sckeme regulating. the production, supply and sale of coal by the owners. The Rt. Hon. W. Graham said that there was nothing new' in the proposal for the coal levy. If the clause was defeated all hope of assisting the iron. and steel industries Would disappear. Wliile the di vision was taken it was obvious that the result would he verv elose as the Liberals were voting solidly against the Government. When the figures were handed to the Conservative whip it was plain that the Government had sufiered its first defeat. The opposition rose in tlieir seats and .cheered and waved oraer papers. It was a full ininute hefore the din suhsided and the division was announced. Mr Baldwin asked, "Does the Prime Minister propose to go on with the bill?" Mr MacDonald, who was loudly cheered, said that he was amazed at the auestion. "The Government intends to proceed with the programme until a vote of censure is passed on the genral question. Eorty-two Liberals, 238 Conservatives and two Independents voted against the Government. Mr Lloyd George was absent through illness. •