The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-13

position to the Consumption Bill prac-
tically collapsed last night when the
House of Commons amid scenes of
| uproarious enthusiasm agreed to the
l bills second reading without a divt-
sion after William -. ,Anderson's mo-
| ton to reject the measure had been
/ defeated by 431 to 80. On the first
reading last Thursday the vote stood
| 4O3 to 105
i The day in Commons was full of
sensational developments. Premier AS
quith announced that as a concession
to- labor the Government would intro
i duee an amendment preventing en-
/ iployers from using the measure as
4 weapon against employees.
Labor designations Withdrawn
/ The designations, from the Ministry
of the Labor NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Hen
derson, President of the Board of
Education; Williamf Brace and George
H Roberts, respectively parliament
lltary Under Secretary for Home At
fairs and Lord Commissioner. of the
/ Treasury were Withdrawn to- await
final decision by the party's annual
conference at Bristol at the end of
/ January.
The debate in the House last night
was closed by Henderson in a much
app1auded speech. He said he would
remain in the Cabinet for the present,
since Premier Asqudth's assurances
akhad ben given to the Laborites in the
name of the whole Cabinet
I have the authority of Earl Kitch-
fener and the General Staff that we
/ require at once not only the unnaar-
ried men : enrolled. under the Derby
scheme. not only the married men who
are waiting stos be called. but also the
whole available part of the $50 600
men with whom this measure deals,''
The Labor leaders had a long con-
ference with Premier Asquith at his
i invitation. He gave tine assurances
| that the =. Government was hiding, no
Interior motives behind the Military
/ Service bill.
Premier Asquit1al himself rose for a
final plea in favor of the bill after Sir
John Simon had made the last appeal
1 for the bills opponents. The Premier
/ referred at once to the fears of labor
that the bill would lead to industrial
/ compu1sfon and that employers would
be able to dismiss obnoxious en-
! p1oyees and compel them to become
soldiers. He explained that the gov
ernment would introduce an amend
/ rnent which would safeguard this
i point.
Premier Is Cheered.
s'I believe he added, that when
| the provisions of the bill are fully
realized and the people understand
that every suggestion and complaint
will be carefully listened to, we shall
have Something like general assent
7 hope that the bill will pass without
dissent Certainly no more effective
j blow could he struck for the success
of our arms ~
The promise OF an amendment was
/ greeted with long cheers and was re-
Igarded as especially significant, mas
| much as the Premier hadzjust come
1 from his conference with the Labor
Headers.
~There has been an immense
amount of misconception and n1isun-
Understanding in some sections and
Glasses regarding the possibilities of
this BILL, continued the Premier
i Some people regard it as a, step
toward universal CONSUMPTION. or a
form and INSTRUMENT of industrial
j compu1sion.
81 assure you there lis nothing
further from the intentions of the
trainers of the bill than that it be
used for any such purpose I hope
the members of the House and the
mass of our countrynen will accept
that assurance.
THE government certainly has no
intention of furnishing, even fndi.-
Irectly, either employers or employees
kwith new ammunition to be expended
i not in the defense OF the country, but
| in pursuit of interneeine Industrial
STRUGGLES. The government is now en-
/ gagged in devisIng means whereby any.
i such thing viii beerendered impossi-
ble.,'
simon Urges National Unity.
Sir John Simon, who recently re-
| signed from the Cabinet on the com.
lpu1sion issue, summed up the argu-
Iments OF the opposition. He declared
/ that in enacting the measure the.
4 House would throw away one of the
1 great national possessions which the
country had entered the war to de-
fend.
''The supreme consideration ought
to be national unity he said. and
in view of the attitude of labor it is
in the highest degree unfortunate that
/ this bill is introduced.tI hope it is not
/ too late to take a practical step to
avoid comppIsion- urge the gov
| eminent to go over the results of the
Earl of Derby's canvass and make
another appeal to men who did not
come forward.
.tAs to the labor attitude, it is
evident that as long as you can take
an unwilling Individual and put him
| in the army there will be the greatest
difficulty in maintaining that in
dustrial freedom which I am sure
/ every Commoner desires to leave I'M
\ touched
Opposing Liberals Attacked.
Ellis Jones Grif1th, Liberal mem
Der of Angesley. made one of the
most telling speeches.. He said that,
| while perhaps all the men against
the bill were not against the war. all
the men against the war were against
the bill He pointed out that 22 of
4 those voting against the first reading
Il formed part of deputation to the
Premier in 1913 asking him to limit
the navy.
"I care nothing for traditions of
I my party when the interests of the
4 country are at stake, . he said.
Mr.. Griffith spoke of Irish boycotts
and trades union strikes to compel
! men to join their organizations as
] forms of conpulsion.
when. however, we want to COM