ANOTHER CLAUSE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 129, 3 June 1927, Page 7

ANOTHER CLAUSE.

DREARY PROGRESS.

Trade Union Funds for Illegal

Purposes.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL ASSAILED

(By Cable—Press Association.— Copyright)

LONDON", June 2.

In the House of Commons yesterday the committee stage debate on the Trade Disput«s and Trade Union Bill was continued. The Attorney-General, Sir Douglas Hogg, moved Clause 7. This gives the Attorney-General, in addition to any persons interested, the power to apply for an injunction to restrain any application of the funds of a trade onion to an illegal strike or to any other purpose in contravention of the provisions of the bill.

There ensued a lejral duel between Sir Doujrlas and Mr. E. A. Hurney, K.C iLib.. South Shields). The" latter assailed the clause a* "a back-stair method of giving the Attorney-General unprecedented powers. *' Sir Douglas quoted at length statutes and precedents. Mr. Harney indignantly protested that the "Minister was supercilious and patronising. Thereupon the Conservative* shouted him down Sir Douglas explained that the clause would apply to unions of employers in exactly the same way as to unions of workmen. If an individual employer supported a lock-out and utilised private funds for such a purpose he would be liable to three months' imprisonment. The clause was carried ry 235 votes to 135.—(A. and N.Z. and Svdnev "Sun.")