Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-03-20
LABOR PARTY IS ACTIVE
IN BRITISH PARLIAMENT
Demands Formal Recognition as Of
fetal Opposition to the CoaIi-
tion Government.
POWER ADDS 8 NEW TOUCH
Refusal Of Sim Feincrs to Take
Their Seats and Defeat OF Liberals
Make Workers the Second Strong
est Faction.
BY A BRITISH NJ. p.

Soaltlon IN inc new English House
! or Commons is the Labor Marty with
slxty-threc members. (Sinn Fein has
ten more representatives. but as it's
members refuse to countenance 4
it need hardly BIO taken into account)
The Labor men are. however, de-
| termined to mako their presence felt,
and have already held meeting OF
| their members and passed a resolution
demanding recognition as the official
opposition to the Coalition govern
ment. 1t hardly seems possible for
the authorities TO resist this claim,
and so 1t may be OF interest to con-
| slider what the Labor party gains by
the assumption of this role and also
how far it's members are qualified TO
assume the new duties which will be
| imposed upon them.
1t is no wonder that the Labor mem
bers have been tempted by the pros
official opposition. for the advantages
of the position are considerable
In tho first place. the most promi
nent members OF the party secure the
the front opposition BENCH which
runs along the floor OF the House i'm
mediately opposite to the Treasury
Bench" on which are seated the Prime
Minister and members OF the govern
ment. Between the benches is a mas
sive table, and thus the front bench
man" alone among members Of Parlia-
ment, instead Of conceaiing his notes
abled to spread them before him and
consult them at his leisure.
HAVE ADVANTAGES
The ''front-bench man" has other
advantages, for, by an unwritten law,
other members give way to him when
he rises to speak. or even should they
| not do so. the speaker usually calls
on the man who Is known to be voic-
| Ing the opinion OF an important party.
| Then again the leader of the opposi-
ton is entitled to the convenience of
a. private room in the Parliament
ing out OF the lobby Is provided for
add to the amenities Of life and ia
| Importance compared TO the privileges
enjoyed by the Opposition in inhuenc-
House
It has long been recognized that
within limits, tho progress OF legisla-
is, aided by. allowing reasonable crit
| icism. and it has, therefore, been the
custom of the leaders of the govern
as to the amount OF time to be allotted
to the discussion of different sections
OF their proposed legislation, and also
TO criticism OF the conduct of the
various departments Of state If. how
ever. the government is obdurate and
win not meet the views of the OPP
| entitled to put forward vote OF CEN
sure" on tho government. who are. by
| the custom OF OOunu 10 give
an opportunity for it's discussion. I'm
| less this ancient custom is abandoned
in the new Parliament. 1t will BIO the
| the Labor party. for it confers on
them the right Of bringing forward
any matter to which it is desired to
This privilege is. however. one that
carries with it grave responsibility.
Tor unless a party is prepared to chal-
lenge the action of the government on
any subject that may seem ncces-
sary it should not undertake the task
of opposition. Time may perhaps prove
| that the Labor party has acted rashly
in assuming this responsibility. for its
| present composition is hardly such as
| to qualify IL for such a many-sided
| task. The leader of the party, Mr.
Adamson. a Scottish coal miner, has
only seven years experience of the
House Of Commons. and is still in some
respects an unknown quantity. He
| impresses one as strong man, and
| though no orator. he knows his own
mind and says what he thinks. ~ man
who can do this, and who is respected
| command the attention of the house.
but it is open to doubt whether Mr.
| Adamson knows enough of the world
| to make a first-cass leader of opposi-
| ton.
He. has two prominent lieutenants.
MI mr.; cIynes' T VIC Of the party
former food controller. is very hon
est Lancashire man. who is liked by
every one. and whose hard work and
sincerity, have earned him a position
| to which his ability is possibly un-
equal. He is believed TO be easily
influenced by his nominal subordinates,
and is somewhat upset by the more
extreme members of his party on ac-
count of his service under Lloyd
George. Mr.. Thomas. the leader Of
| the railwaymen, is q much ADLER man.
| Though he can speak his mind on oc-
casion, and has more than once earned
| universal respect by telling the mem
bers of his union that they would not
be justified in striking in violation Of
| agreements. yet he is something of n
| mystery. He is patriotic, yet during
the war he refrained from denouncing
other labor members who were not,
and when he thought it desirable he
| attacked the government AS a result,
| both extreme and moderate labor men
regard him with the respect that one
it probable that his short. square.
commonplace figure harbors the soul
| OF n statesman.
Certainly his party needs one. Most
| of it's rank and file are trades union
officials, intimately versed In every de-
tail of their own business, but igno-
rant of finance, and. above all. ignorant
of foreign affairs So far as European
politics are concerned the Labor party
has been grieyously weakened by the
election, for 1T has lost all those mem
national socialism. Mr.. Henderson,
Ramsay Macdonald, Mr. Snowden and
others werc believed to favor leniency
to Germany, and they have paid the
penalty. but their absence is seri-
GUS handicap to their party which now
contains hardly q single man convers-
ant with foreign politics. There Is
| probably no question in which the
| government will be more anxious TO
avoid discussion. since all governments
(and still more all permanent ofncals)
like to shroud foreign affairs in
secrecy. and there is, therefore, no
/ question which needs greater atten-
ton from n vigilant and patriotic op-
when it undertakes its new RESPONSE
blities, that honesty and good will
need to be supplemented by knowledge
and experience before they can bear
useful fruit.-(Copyright, 1919.