TO THE LAST DITCH

Northern Advocate, 18 May 1927, Page 5

TO THE LAST DITCH

j LABOUR WILL FIGHT. 1 TRADE UNION BILL. ! (Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, May 17. When the Labour mciubers re-ap-peared in the House of Commons they Issued an announcement that a joint meeting of the Parliamentary Party Executive and General Council of the Trades'" "Union Congress unanimously decided to dispute the limitations duo to the '‘gag’’ and to continue to tight the Trade Unions' Bill in committee. —A'.P.A. and Sun, THE AMENDING CLAUSE. CLARITY NOT ACHIEVED. (Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 17. I Sir Douglas Hogg, moving an | amendment, which he said made it j clear exactly what sort of strikes the j Bill made illegal, was received with (Labour shouts of “Clear as Mud!” j Sir Douglas Hogg, after much interi ruption, moved amendments making J illegal strikes calculated to coerce the | Government by inflicting hardship on | the community. Sir H. Slesser said Labourites deplored all strikes, lockouts and disputes, but the Government amendment j put evCry sympathetic strike of any J dimensions in jeopardy, because all ! strikes caused hardship on the com[raunity. He appealed to Sir Douglas I Hogg to stay his reckless revolutionary hand. The Government was throwing dust into the industrial machine and had been coerced into the introduction of a monstrous bill. Sir John Simon said that although the Government had honestly tried to improve the language of the clause it was still unsatisfactory. He added: “When I heard they were searching Arcos I wondered whether the missing j document was a definition of a general strike.” —A.P.A. and Sun. SYMPATHETIC STRIKES. I CONSTITUTION DISCUSSED. j (Received 2.50 p.m.) 1 LONDON, May 17. Closely questioned by Messrs Lloyd George, Thomas and Clynes, on the subject of sympathetic strikes, Sir Douglas Hogg expressed the opinion ! that if a strike within a trade or I industry was directed at an employer j the State would not be affected. He j admitted that a strike of railwaymen I and transporters in support of a strike j of miners could only be designed to j bring pressure on the Government to j intervene. Such a strike would be [ illegal or illegitimate apart from this ! bill. j Sir Douglas Hogg, replying to Mr Lloyd George, said that if railwaymen refused to handle coal during a mining -strike, and if the effect was to inflict hardship on the community to such an extent as to coerce the Government into intervening, it would be illegal 1 under the bill. [ Mr Wallhead interjected: “Then ! there could never be a sympathetic strike in aid of miners.” Sir Douglas Hogg said if the effect was to bring pressure on the mine owners it would be perfectly legal. If it was an attempt to coerce the Government it would be illegal. Mr Thurtle said the sympathetic strike had become an essential part of the light to strike. They would never get the great mass of the people to carry out a strike unless the conditions of the industry they were seeking to support were deplorable.—A.P., and Sun.