BRITISH LABOUR PARTY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1315, 19 December 1911, Page 5

BRITISH LABOUR PARTY.

. -—♦ • ■ A SPLIT DENIED. Br 'telegraph-Press Association-Copyrlchl London, December JT. Jli'. 15amsay MacDonuld, Labour 31.1'. for Leicester, speakins at Swansea, denied tho rumours that there was a split in the Labour party. He mid he' hoped tho time would never como when the parly would coeree a conscientious minority into tho same division lobby. i i" 1 "st''ial upheaval in the Old Country, there has been much speculation as to the future relation, of the Labour .party and (he Liberals-. In (he course-of- a review of the situation, (lie London correspondent of the "New "P- .. .said recently J list thoro .was thoir MM CCe: ;L; II * . gcnoral of 11)06. inc 1900 cloction j»nvc seai* in Purlinmeat to nine Labour candidates. Ju igos no fewer than fifty-three Labour lnembcrs were elected. Before tho first vear ot tho new; Parliament was out they'had tested their power by compelling the Ministry to throw over, practically its own Trade Disputes Hill, and accept a moro radical measure, embodying the demands of tho trade union's, More notable still, the substituted Bill was accepted 1?" j" 1 . 0 . Morels, w . lu> lct it ho clearly seen that they heartily disliked it., but were afraid to reject, if. Even the leader of the ! recent 'Die-hards,' Lord Halsburv, thought it' consistent with true courage to make no other protest against the Rill than verbal curing. To have compelled the submission of tho very House thai risked its own prerogative'rather than consent to Iho main proposals of the Campbell-Banuerman and Asquith .Ministries was an achievement indeed. No one can ho surprised if nn attack of 'swelled head followed. Quito lately we have had still another evidence of tho infiuenco of tho Labour vote. Tho provision for tho payment of members would certainly not have been iutroducrftl so soon but for the need of mitigating, in tho interest of the Labour parlv, tho efTect of the Osborno judgment. "Hitherto labour has taken its part in tho political coalition (hat has brought about, tho passing of Iho Parliament *Vet rho completion of this piece of business would in itself tend to lessen tho cohesion of the three groups that form the House of Commons' majority, and the recent strikes are likely In hasten a separation between Labour and Liberalism. No alliance could survive very long such "attacks ns have lately been made upon the Ministry, by the Labour loaders."