Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1916-01-06
Test Ballot Shows Dele
gates of 100000
UnionistS Opposed.
PROPOSITION is TURNED
DOWN BY 4 TO | VOTE
Party Leader in Commons Will
Resign Rather Than Fight
Government. Z

LONDON, Jan. 6.-That representa-
tives of 100000 English trade union
lists will adopt by a large majority
a resolution condennning conscription
was indicated on a test vote this aft
ernoon.
Delegates TO the National Labor
Congress voted down by nearly four
to one a motion by J. A. Davis, of the
Brass Workers Union, to lend sup
port to a modified conscription BILL
forcing into service single men who
had not attested under the Derby re-
cruiting scheme.f
The bill advocated by Davis was
almost identical with that introduced
by the government yesterday. except
that it did not call for the enlistment
of widowers. The delegates voted it
down, 2,1210 TO 541 900, the ballots
representing the whole number OF
workers the voting delegates repre-
sent.
Henderson Threatens to Quit.
Arthur Henderson, president of the
Board of Education and leader OF
the Labor party in the House of Com
mons, served notice ON the Labor Con-
gress today that If it decided that he
should oppose the governments conf
pulsion bill he would refuse to ac-
eept such decision, that he would inn
mediately resign his seat in tho
House of Commons and would ask his
constituents whether they indorsed his
action or not.
A resolution, protesting "in the
name of 100000 trades unionists'
against compulsory enlistment, was
introduced by the executive commit
tee when the labor congress met to-
cay.
The resolution was greeted with
! cries of approval from all parts of
/ the hall. 1t contained expressions Of
regret that the solidarity of the
nation has been gravoly imperiled.
and industrial and political liberty
menaced by the attitude of the con-
| scriptionists.
J. Hodge, labor member of Parlia-
ment. in moving the adoption of the
resolution. vehemently denied that the
voluntary system of recruiting has
been failure. He declared nearly
100000 Britishers have voluntarily
answered their country's call
| The resolution. however, declared
the sentiment of the congress that
labor members of Parliament be per-
mitted to vote according to their own
convictions. This feature was decid-
edly pleasing to the conscriptionists.
! Nine hundred delegates, represents
ing 400 labor organiza tions, including
the most powerful unions in Great
! Britain, were in their seats when the
meeting was called to order, to deter
mine labor's attitude toward the con-
scription policy of the government
Delegates Are Outspoken.
The majority of the delegates We're
outspoken in opposition to any form
of conscription. One group had
drafted a resolution for presentation,
calling upon Arthur Henderson, labor
member of the Asquith ministry, to
resign at once.
! Harry Gosling, trades union leader
presided. Scattered about the hall
were number of labor members Of
parliament.
Preceding introduction OF the anti
conscription resolution, the executive
committee presented q lengthy re-
port. emphasizing labor's deep
rooted, traditional and uncompromis-
ing hostility" toward conscription.
This hostility cannot be outraged
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