The debate was wound up by the Premier, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, who reminded the House that the existing legislation would terminate in 1981 and that the position must bbe faced. There would, he said, be no solution of the coal problem until the question of price had been settle ed. There had been, he declared, the most extravagant internal competition and the Government were trying to stop this. Coal had bect sold at levels which did not permit Jof a decent organization of the industry itself, which did not permit the payment of decent wages to the miners and did not permit of profits lon the industry. He announced that mining royalties must be nationalize Jed without delay and that the Bill was pre-eminently one for discussion in committee.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.