FIGHT ABANDONED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1485, 6 July 1912, Page 5

FIGHT ABANDONED.

LABOUR-LIBERAL SPLIT.

By Telegraph—Press ABsoofatlon-Cop yrlght ''" ■ London, July i. ' The Labour correspondent of the "Daily News"; says tho quarrel between the Labour and Liberal parties is deeper than l misunderstanding regarding the Hanley ind Crewe seats. It dates from tho employment of troops during the railway strike, and was accentuated by fho Govwnmenfs refusal to accept the ss/and 2s. amendment to the Minors' Minimum Wage Bill. Tho Premier's refusal to intervene in the dockers' troublo likewiso caused great resentment, as did tho suspicion that he favoured compulsory arbitration.

Tho Government has intimated to tho Labour party that if it withdraws en masse the Trades Union Bill will be immediately introduced. At tho instance of Sir Arthur Markham (M.P. for Nottinghamshire) and Sir Herbert Raphael (M.P. for South Derbyshire), A memorial is being prepared pledging the Liberals not to support the Trades Union Bill or any other Labour measures if the Labour party withdraws from the House of Commons as threatened. Mr. George H. Roberts, Labour member for Norwich, speaking at the annual meeting of the Council of Federated Trado Union?, said that whatever happened' the, Labour party intended to defend its rights to, tho Hanley seat. / Members of the Labour party ere strongly denouncing tho Government for showing-no sign of compromising. Mr. Finney, president of the local Miners' Association, will be the Labour candidate for the Hanley seat. Tho London "Chronicle" (Liberal) considers that Mr. R. L. Outhwaito (who has been' adopted by Hanley Liberals as their candidate) should withdraw. PARTY MUCH DIVIDED. (Reo. July 5, 10.30 p.m.) London, July 5. The Labour party ha 3 adopted Mr. Holmes, of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, as its candidate for the Crewe seat. A meeting of Labour members of tho Houso of Commons disclosed marked differences of opinion on the situation. It was finally resolved to help the Hanley and Crewe candidates without special Parliamentary action against the Government: .:.... ~\

The Trades Union Bill referred to above provides for the reversal of the House of Lords' judgment in the Osborne case, that the funds of trades unions cannot be applied for political purposes. The Labour party, while approving of the general principle of (lie Bill, tnkes exception to a clause providing that members of trades unions who object to levies for political purposes can obtain exemption from the payment of dues under them.