TRADES UNIONISTS' ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 7, 8 January 1916, Page 5

TRADES UNIONISTS' ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE

MR. ARTHUR HENDERSON'S STRONG SUPPORT OF BILL. LABOUR MINISTERS RESIGN AFTER CONGRESS TOTE. LONDON, January 7. During the discussion on the Compulsion Bill at the Trades Union Congress, which by votes representing 1,908,000 to 738,000 opposed the bill, Mr. Arthur Henderson, President of the Board of Education, declared that if the Congress decided that he must oppose the bill, he would refuse to do so, and would ask his constituents to endorse hie action. "We have reached a crisis in the history of the nation," he went on, "and a greater crisis in the history of our own movement. There are people in this audience who would like to soe us win the war, but they are opposed to war. Kitchener wants, by the spring, 30,000 recruits per week, and he wants 30,000 per week until the end of the year, or a total of 1,500,000. Will the conference place its opinion against that of Kitchener?" "I would rather fight a by-election than oppose the bill," added Mr. Henderson. Mr. Philip Snowden, MJ\: "Come to my constituency and fight the issue." RELEASING THE HALF MILLION MARRIED MEN. After many interruptions and heated exchanges, Mr. Henderson said: "Is there a man who will Jiare to vote to release 500,000 married men already attested? Had I left my colleagues in the Cabinet it would have meant the breaking of the coalition." Mr. J. H. Thomas, M.P., said: "We must ignore the threat of a general election. I would refuse to carry out any instructions to support the bill. A general election would be a crime against those serving in the trenches and against Labour. If an election is forced, would we admit that only Labour could be subjected to conscription, and not wealth? Conscription is not wanted to win the war, but for ulterior ends." Mr. W. C. Anderson, M.P., said that behind the bill there was a conspiracy, intermixed with personal ambition. HOW WILL COMPULSION BE OPPOSED ? During the debate an amendment favouring national service during the war was negatived by a majority of 1,580,000. Mr. Bellamy, the railwaymen's delegate, said that probably some would ask: "How will you oppose compulsion? Are you going to strike?" His answer was: "Wait and see." Mr. Havelock Wilson said that if Mr. Asquith's pledge had not been given recruiting would have been less satisfactory. If the pledge were not carried out there would be grave dissension. The country believed that the unattefted single men belonged to the middle claes. The Congress generally was marked by acrimonious scenes. The great Central Hall was crowded by a thousaad delegates, who represented 400 unions. GREAT SENSATION CAUSED BY RESIGNATIONS. The result of the vote of the Labour Congress on the Compulsion Bill was awaited with anxiety in the House of Commons. At the conclusion of the Congress the Parliamentary Labour party met privately and discussed the result. A great sensation was caused in the House when it was announced that, as a result of the Labour Congress vote, three Labour members, Mr. Arthur Henderson, President of the Education Board, Mr. G. H. Roberts, Junior Lord of the Treasury, and Mr. W. Brace, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Home Affairs, had resigned their positions in the Ministry. Mr. Henderson will explain in the House of Commons on Tuesday why he and his colleagues have resigned from the Cabinet.