The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-05-03
Britain Takes a Step Backward

In recent times we have grown accustomed TO
booking to Great Britain for progressive, not to say
liberal, ideas.
At a time when we are barking back to blue
laws and reign of intolerance, Britain has been
forging ahead fairly steadily in the direction Of lib
eralism.
Yesterday, however, III the House Of Commons
a struggle begun between the conservative gov
eminent of Premier Stanley Baldwin and the labor
and liberal groups bill which, at first blush
seems so drastic that inclined to rub our
eyes to see If we have read it Alright
1t is called the TRADE unions bill and unless all
signs fail 1t is bound to split Britain wide open be-
fore it is through.
Labor is unanimous against it; liberal opinion
is almost as uniformly opposed to it and some
OF the conservative leaders believe 1T goes too far
The bill aims to make general strikes impossi-
BILE and in doing SO threatens to make any kind Of
strike precarious, if not illegal, procedure.
A sympathetic strike is Illegal, under the bill,
when 1t is designed calculated to coerce the gov
eminent, or ITO ntmidate the community or any
substantial portion Of the community"
Picketing is illegal when 1t is calculated to
Reasonable apprehension Of injury" And under
that is included apprehension of boycott or loss
of any kind or of exposure to hatred ridicule
tempt"
Inc pOnucal levy, or union OueS, are not 10 De
collected unless the worker has first agreed in
writing and according to a specified form.
There are other contentious clauses In the bill,
but these three are the ones which nationwide
storm is raging.
A law of this nature would virtually kill labor
unions in Britain. In most instances strikes would
be so circumscribed by statute that they would be
doomed to failure before declared. Court, left to
interpret the vague clauses of the measure could
and, of necessity, would become law unto them
Selves
Labor in the United States knows what that
means. Though not half so drastic as the English
BILL American law has been so construed by our
courts as to break the backbone Of many a strike.
Small wonder, then, that President Green of the
A. F. Of L. with other labor leaders the world over,
has his eyes on Britain&
Labor generally in England is opposed to gen.
eral strike and, after what happened last May, few
believe there exists the slightest danger Of another
Even conservative Industrial magnates in Brit
ain share this view and were inclined to let well
enough alone. But Premier Baldwin to the surprise
of many, seems to have allowed the hotter heads
to prevail upon him.
The bill will be worth many recruits to radi-
calism the world over. That is perhaps the saddest
part Of it. British critics say it will revive class
war, of course it WILL particularly if the govern
ment makes fight to put it through as it stands.
That is the trouble with ulta-conservatism.
Those afflicted by 1t have nightmares over COM
munism and what not, but, by their silly extremes
they proceed to breed the communists they fear
Life is pendulum; from one extreme it
swings 10 the other. Justice is a happy medium Set
the pendulum there and tranquility is the result
How few seem to know this.