CABLE NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 150, 25 June 1904, Page 5

CABLE NEWS.

[Bt RI.SOTBIO TKLEQHArn.— OCfPIUIGIIT.]

FEDERAL ARBITRATION BILL. AMENDMENT CARRIED AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. "CUT AT TIIE. HEART OF THE IMA,." TUB 11 OILS F ADJOURNS. [rnns9 association.? MELBOURNE, 24th June. .After a debate in the IJouho of Re-pie-sentatives extending «ncr tluue hittings a division \\as taken on Air. Johnson's mmudincnl to tho Arbitration Bill to f>li iko out Ihu power of the Court to grant pieforeneo to unionists. The amendment whs negatived by 34 votes to 3J. Mr. M'Cay ther> moved nn amendment, which was supported by tho Government, and cairicd oi> tho voices, providing for due notification in (ho U.iswltc and elhc^liero in cases wheio it is intended to enforce piefeicnce to unionists. Mr. M'Cny then moved nn addition that no f-ucii preference be diiected to bn given unlcsa application for such preference is approved by a majority of those affected by the award and who lnvc interests in common with tho applicants. Tho Premier .(Mr. Watson) strongly opposed this addition, ttiul called on all his fuippoitcrs to vote against it. Mr. M'Cay's addition, however, was carried by 27 vo'es to 22. , , Mr. Watson immediately moved to report progress. lie s;iid tho Government regarded the (iniendmcnb as a very eeriotis cut right at the heart of the JMII. It was necessary for the Government to consider how far tho amendment alFectcd the general purposes of the measure, nnd how fur Ministers might ask members to reconsider tho matter. Progress wns then reported, and tiio llouKe adjourned till Tuesday.1 After the adjournment Mr. Watson slated that nothing would bo donp regarding the political situation till Cabinet meets to consider tho matter next Monday. VIGOROUS SPEECH BY MR. REID. (Received, June 25, 10.26 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. Mr. Reid, speaking on Mr. Johnson's amendment, said ho considered some of tho provisions of (ho Hill were unrivalled violations of the rights of citizens. Compuhjory aibitration wns only an interesting experiment with an excellent object in view. Preference to unionists was carrying the Bill too far, nnd waa a hideously impracticable attempt to thrust tho non-unionist in tho gutter. It was, he added, intolerance of tho worst kind, and would induce nn industrial warfare umongbt tho workers. Tho injustice was hideous in its inequality, and ho appealed not for favour, but for justice to nonunionists. After tho division Mr. Reid declared that Mr. Watson had tuken tho only proper course.