shall in either case forthwith appoint three persons as members of the committee who are, in his opinion, representative of the miners and the coal-owners in the district, as the case may require.

(6) The six members so appointed shall, within one month of their appointment, meet for the purpose of nominating a chairman, and if they fail to do so or to make a suitable nomination the president shall forthwith appoint a chairman.

(7) The chairman shall hold office for a period of three years, but shall be eligible for reappointment in like manner as hereinbefore provided.

(8) The other members of the committee shall hold office in the first instance for a period of three years and thereafter shall retire by rotation. Two members, one representative of the miners and one representative of the owners, shall retire every year, and the members who are to retire at the end of the third, fourth and fifth years respectively shall be chosen by lot. Retiring members shall be eligible for re-appointment in like manner as hereinbefore provided.

(9) If the chairman or any member dies or retires during his term of office the vacancy shall be filled in the like manner.

(10) The Secretary for Mines shall nominate a secretary to each committee, who shall hold office during good behaviour.

(11) The duties of a committee shall be

(a) The settlement of any mining disputes arising in the district;

(b) the settlement of wages questions within the district, including the fixing of basic rates and percentages; and

(c) the regulations of conditions of employment which are not already provided for by statute or any national agreement.

(12) The decisions of the majority of the committee shall be binding on all persons whom they concern throughout the district:

Provided that if within thirty days of

any decision

notice of appeal against the decision is lodged with
the Secretary for Mines, the Secretary shall refer the
appeal to the National Arbitration Tribunal, whose
decision shall be final "___
-(Mr. David Davies).

Motion made, and Question, "That the Clause be read a second time,"-put, and negatived.

Another New Clause (" Publication of notice ")-brought up, and read the first time as follows:

"On and after the passing of this Act it shall be a condition precedent to any invitation to the public to subscribe for or purchase any shares, bonds or debentures in any company engaged by itself or through any concern in which it has an interest in the production of coal that such invitation be preceded by a notice published in at least three daily British newspapers once a week for three weeks prior to the publication of such invitation, and the last of such notices being not later than thirty days previous to the first publication of said invitation. The said notices shall intimate

(a) that such invitation is to be made forthwith; (b) that full particulars thereof will be obtained at a stated address and that free of charge by postal delivery or otherwise;

(c) that the particulars so obtained will be identical with those to be communicated to the public in the later invitation;

(d) That any union or unions representing workers engaged or of a character qualifying them for engagement in the company whose shares, bonds and debentures are to be offered as stated, or any concern in which that company may be interested as aforesaid may have reserved for them, previous to the public invitation, such shares, bonds, or debentures, as they may desire;

(e) That such application for shares, bonds or debentures to be reserved must be received. not later than seven days subsequent to the date of the paper or papers containing the latest notice;

(f) that such application must be accompanied
by a remittance for such instalment as is to
be required from the general public as pay-
able on an application for shares, bonds or
debentures in the company referred to;

(g) that the shares, bonds or debentures so
reserved for the said union or unions shall
be duly allotted or issued, and that the con-
ditions attaching to any shares, bonds or
debentures so allotted or issued to such
union or
or unions shall be identical with
those applying to shares, bonds and deben-
tures issued to the public generally"-(Mr.
Kidd).

Motion made, and Question proposed," That the Clause be read a second time."

Motion and Clause, by leave, withdrawn.

Another New Clause ("Coal transport") brought up, and read the first time as follows:

66

(1) With a view to securing a reduction in the costs of transport of coal the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Transport jointly shall, as soon as may be after the passing of this Act, appoint a standing committee on mineral transport consisting of representatives of the Mines Department, the Ministry of Transport, the railway companies, owners of undertakings consisting of or comprising coal mines, coal merchants, and workers in or about coal mines.

(2) The standing committee on mineral transport shall be charged with the duty of

(a) reviewing the equipment provided for twenty-
ton wagons at the ports and railway terminals
and at the coal mines, and to make representa-
tions, where necessary, for its extension;
(b) promoting in each coal-mining district a
district pool of wagons for the common use
of all undertakings engaged in the transport
of coal in the district;

(c) promoting the standardisation of coal wagons;

(d) undertaking special inquiries into any matters. relating to the transport of coal.

(3) The Board of Trade may make regulations for the purpose of carrying out all or any of the recommendations of the standing committee on mineral transport with respect to the formation of district pools of coal wagons and the standardisation of coal

wagons.

(4) If any person contravenes or fails to comply with any regulation made under this section he shall be guilty of an offence, and shall, in respect of every such offence, be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds or, in the case of a continuing offence, not exceeding five pounds for each day on which the offence continues.

(5) All regulations made under this section shall be laid before Parliament as soon as may be after they are made, and if an Address is presented to His Majesty within the next subsequent twenty days on which that House is sitting next after any such regulation is laid before it, praying that the regulation may be annulled, it shall thenceforth be void, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder or to the making of any new regulation:

Provided that section one of The Rules Publication Act, 1893, shall not apply to any regulations made under this section "-(Mr. Walsh).

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause be read a second time."

Motion and Clause, by leave, withdrawn.

Another New New Clause Clause ("Notification of meeting to consider change") brought up, and read the first time as follows:

"Before notice is sent to any shareholders or debenture-holders in a company convening a meeting of such shareholders or debenture-holders for the purpose of considering the preparation or submission of any scheme under this Part of this Act notice. of the meeting shall be sent to the Board of Trade, and the Board may, if they think fit, require

a statement issued by the Board to be sent with the notice to the shareholders or debenture-holders, and, if the Board so require, the company shall permit any person nominated by the Board to attend the meeting and address the shareholders or debentureholders, as the case may be "-(Commander Bellairs). Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause be read a second time."

Motion and Clause, by leave, withdrawn.

Another New Clause (" Board of Trade to provide establishment of agencies") brought up, and read the first time as follows:—

"The Board of Trade shall, as soon as may be after the passing of this Act, promote the establishment of co-operative non-profit-making selling agencies, and every amalgamation scheme shall provide for the distribution and sale of coal, and coal products, wholesale or retail, through the medium of a selling agency promoted by the Board of Trade "-(Mr. Adamson). Motion made, and Question put, "That the Clause be read a second time."-The Committee divided :