ANGRY FOUR HOURS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 43, 13 May 1927, Page 9

ANGRY FOUR HOURS

TRADES UNIONS BILL COMMITTEE DEBATE CLOSURE APPLIED By Cable. —Press Association.—Copyright LONDON, Thursday. The opening of the committee stage in the- House of Commons on the Trade Disputes and Trades Unions Bill resulted in a series of acrimonious discussions. Finally the Government applied the closure to the debate. The first Labour amendment was moved by Sir Henry Slesser, member for Leeds. He moved the insertion of the words, “For the purpose of removing doubts” before the initial words in the bill, which read: “It is hereby declared.” Sir Henry argued that the opening declaration in the bill actually reversed the present law, as there was no statute which had ever made it an offence for a man to refuse employment. STRIKE DEFINED In replying, the Attorney-General, Sir Douglas Hogg, said that under the provisions of the measure it would not be illegal for a man to refuse employment. A strike as defined in the bill was not a cessation of work by an individual, but a cessation of work by a body of persons acting in combination. Sir Douglas described Sir Henry Slesser’s speech as largely irrelevant. This caused an uproar and Labour accusations to the effect that the Attor-ney-General was not telling the truth. When the debate was resumed Sir John Simon, Liberal member for Spen Valley, Yorkshire, expressed the opinion that the amendment was quite harmless. The general strike of last year was not addressed solely to the promotion of a trade dispute and there was no reason why it should not be made plain why the legislation was being enacted. After a four hours’ debate the Attorney-General moved the closure amid loud cries of “Gag.” The motion was carried by 294 votes to 153. The amendment was rejected by 302 votes to 152. Some of the Labour members sang “John Brown’s Body,” and the “Land Song” during the division. When the debate was adjourned to make way for private business the first word in the bill had still not been reached.—A. and N.Z.-Sun.

BLIND AND BITTER

GOVERNMENT BLUNDER By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright NEW YORK, May 11. The leader of the British Labour Party, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, was interviewed at Philadelphia on the Trades Unions Bill. He said every direct thinking man, whether he was in sympathy with the Labour Party or not, must see that this legislation was a bitter and a blind blunder. It showed that the present Government in Britain would do that country much harm if it continued in power. It was an insult to sane men ■to offer the hill to Parliament, and only those whose hearts and heads were full of class prejudice and blindness to justice would support it. What was worrying him was that he was in a hospital room instead of in Parliament at home fighting the bill.

Mr. MacDonald is now so nearly well again that he will probably leave the hospital on Friday and shortly after that he will sail for England.— A. and N.Z.