HC Deb 27 July 1915 vol 73 cc2188-9

(1) Coal at the pit's mouth shall not be sold or offered for sale by the owner of the coal or on his behalf at a price exceeding by more than the standard amount per ton the price of coal of the same description, sold in similar quantities, and under similar conditions affecting the sale at the pit's mouth at the same coal mine on the corresponding date (or as neap thereto as, having regard to the course of business, may be practicable) in the twelve months ended the thirtieth day of June nineteen hundred and fourteen (in this Act referred to as the corresponding price).

(2) The standard amount shall be four shillings: provided that the Board of Trade may, by order, if they are satisfied, as respects any class of coal mines specified in the order or the coal mines in any districts so specified, that owing to special circumstances affecting those mines the standard amount of four shillings should be increased, substitute for that amount such higher sum as they may think just in the circumstances; and as respects those mines this Act shall have effect as if the higher sum so substituted were the standard amount.

Mr. RUNCIMAN

I beg to move, in Sub-section (1), after the word "sale" ["coal at the pit's mouth shall not be sold or offered for sale"], to add the words "directly or indirectly."

The purpose of inserting these words is to make it quite certain that it will not be too easy to evade the object which we have in this Bill. Without the words "directly or indirectly," some dodge might be resorted to by persons who wished to evade what we desire to get at. Therefore, if any case came into Court, I think that it would be of assistance to the judge to inquire whether there had been any sales "directly or indirectly." A sale indirectly to a second person would naturally lead to an evasion of the Bill, and it is in order to strengthen the hands of the Court that we wish to insert the words "directly or indirectly."

Question, "That those words be there inserted in the Bill," put, and agreed to.

Notice had been given by Mr. O'GRADY of an Amendment, at the end of Subsection (2), to add the words, "(3) In every contract for the sale of coal at the pit's mouth under which such coal has been sold but not delivered at the time of the passing of this Act it shall be an implied term that the price of such coal shall not exceed the lawful price as determined by this Act, and any disputes arising therefrom shall be submitted to the Board of Trade for determination in accordance with the Board of Trade Arbitrations, etc., Act, 1874."

Mr. O'GRADY

I understand that this Amendment is not to be moved, in view of the fact that the President has an Amendment lower down attempting to meet the views expressed in this Amendment. That being the case, we propose to wait until the Amendment is proposed by the right hon. Gentleman.