LABOR UNITED

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10377, 7 April 1927, Page 5

LABOR UNITED

AGAINST TRADE UNION BILL.

“EXPRESSION OF CLASS WAR.”

UNEMPLOYMENT PREVENTION. (United Press Assn.—Copyright.) 'LONDON, April 5. Labor’s Internal differences have been pushed into the background, and all shades of- opinion, from Mr. Ramsay MacDonald to Mr. A. J. Cook, are united in opposition to the Government proposals. The first indication of consolidated opposition was ghen when the defence committee of the Trades Union Congress asked the Congress to convene a special conference in connection theiewith. In the meantime industrialists are to confer with Parliamentarians for the purpose of fighting every inch ot the way in the House of Commons*. Mr. MacDonald describes the proposals as the most dangerous expression of class war ever known.

Mr J. R. dynes says: “It is twenty times worse than I ever thought could he brought down, it will crash all recent efforts to produce a feeling of goodwill in industry. It is a first-class gift of the best material to Communists for stirring up trouble in industry.” Mr. Cook regards the proposals as a definite declaration of war on the whole of Labor political and industrial, t and will, he says, create a greater conflict than last year. Mr. J. H. Thomas states that the Government has united Labor. Mr. Citrine, secretary of the Trade Union Council, states that the entire dangerous attack, and plans are maturing, for a vigorous campaign throughout the country. Leaders of the civil servants and Post Office employees are equally bitter, and declare that it may be found that such bitterness lias been engendered in the country by the violence of the measure- that the Government may hesitate to enforce it. Though the official Liberal view has not yet been fully considered, there is a tendency among individual Liberals to regard the Bill as not in accord with Mr. Baldwin’s plea for peace in industry. They feel that such a far-reaching .measure should be referred to a Royal Commission, representative of. the views of all parties concerned. It is a coincidence that simultaneously with Cabinet’s Trade Unions Bill,’ the Laborites, Messrs. Hall, dynes, Webb, Lansbury and Graham, brought down a private Bill for the prevention of unemployment. It provides for the creation of a national employment development hoard composed wholly of Ministers, of whom the Minister of Labor is chairman. Parliament is to vote £10,000,000 annually for the board’s purposes, this to he expendable in any part of the Empire on works or services, or in the form of grants to the Dominion authorities, and usable for lanu, transport, mining, or electrical undertakings, and also in Britain, fvliere local authorities may execute approved works, in default of which the hoaj'd or Government department should carry out the work partly at the expense of the local authorities. The Bill concludes with a naive provision empowering the hoard to invest unexpended balances.—k V.. and N.ZC.A.

“DELIBERATE ATTACK”

LABOR COUNCIL’S VIEWS

(Reecived April 6, J. 5 p.m.) LONDON, April 5,

The Labor National Joint Council at a meeting in the House of Commons. passed a resolution exposing a determination to oppose the Trades Union Bill, as a deliberate attack, designed to deprive workers of resistance when assailed by organised employers.—A. and N.Z. C.A.