The President of the Board of Trade spoke very sensibly
in accepting the amendment from the Upper House upon the " spread over " of hours. The House of Lords was fully justified for its action last week. Mr. Graham, however, inserted as a further amendment that the Mining Association and the Miners' Federation must agree in approving any request from a district to spread hours over. The only objection to this is the distrust provoked if it implies any possible tendency of Parliament to delegate to outside bodies powers that it should exercise itself. On Wednesday the Lords accepted the Commons' amendment. Lord Salisbury was prepared to move yet another small addition calculated, in his opinion, to safeguard the wishes of miners. He realised, however, that the House did not wish to press any further change upon the Commons, and the Bill was passed as received. Its final treatment has been to the credit of both Houses.
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