TRADE UNION BILL

Evening Star, Issue 15074, 4 January 1913, Page 5

TRADE UNION BILL

LABOR'S ATTITUDE. "HALF A LOAF." GOVERNMENT TO BE PRESSED. LONDON, January 3. Hie National Conference of Miners passed a resolution to the effect that, although they were unable to accept anything short of a complete reversal of the Qsborne judgment, thev were prepared meanwhile to accept the Trade Union Bill, subject to further improvement. (Received January 4, at 9.20 a.m.) Mr Arthur Henderson, M.P. ( a Labor member and formerly a Newcastle ironmoulder), speaking at a. conference of 500 delegates representing two million trade unionists, moved the adoption of the report, recommending the acceptance of the Trade Union Bill under protest, as only an instalment of Labor- legislation. He urged that the Bill's powers should be used°in strengthening the. Labor party's position, and suggested that when the. minorities wore converted the trade unionists should go with united front to Parliament and obtain a reversal of the Osborne judgment. Mr Stephen Walsh. M.P., in seconding the motion, declared that the Bill restored in a substantial degree the position held by trade unions before the Osborne judgment. Mr Start, of the Postmen's Federation, said that if this Bill were accepted by Labor the Government would not reverse the Osborne judgment. Labor was always getting instalments only, and never its full demands. Mr Smillie feared that the acceptance of instalments would retard the reversal of the Osborne judgment for many years. The Bill proved that the Government distrusted the Labor party. The motion was carried by 346 votes to