MOST CRUCIAL BI L BEFORE PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Times, Volume LII, Issue 3582, 27 April 1927, Page 7

MOST CRUCIAL BI L BEFORE PARLIAMENT

Government Defends Trade Union Measure

CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY NOT TOO LARGE [By Electric Cable-Copyright.] [Aust. and N.Z. Caiue Association.] (Received Tuesday 9,30 p.m) LONDON, April 26. The stage is now set for the 'fight over the Trade Union Bill. Th e Government’s campaign In defence of the measure opened last night, three Ministers speaking in different parts of the country. Other members of the Cabinet will Join In the campaign in a few days. Sir L. Wortihngston-Evans, Secretary of State for War, announced at Colchester, that the Government was Willing to extend the strike clause to lockouts. -He commended to the notice of women voters Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s pledge to repeal the measure and concluded by saying “We prepared to fight this issue,"

Sir R. S. Horne (Conservative) speaking at Glasgow, said.the Bill was the most crucial before Parliament. He warned his listeners against the assumption that the Conservatives' majority was too large to be destroyed at one blow.’ He expressed the opinion that the next election would be the most vital since the war. Though two years distant, the Conservatives must prepare for it now.

The Government would be confronted by both' Liberal and Labour opposition to the Bill. Every attempt would be made to Inflame electors. Nevertheless the Conservatives would enter th e conflict without misgivings. Meantime Conservative headquarters have circulated 2,000,000 pamphlets and leaflets explaining and defending the Bill as “A workers’ charter of liberty.”

The second reading opens in the Hous e of Commons on May 2, and a division Is due on the evening of May 4th, which is the anniversary of the outbreak of the general strike.

The Centra! Board of the Co-opera-tive Union has issued an appeal to Britain’s 5,000,000 co-operators to assist in every way to secure the defeat of a Bill- “mperilling the foundation upon which the associated democracy of Britain has been built up." The “Daily Herald" (Labour) says that Labour’s plan of campaign against the Bill has 1 been completed, announcing a special conference of Trade Union executives on Friday.