Widnes Examiner. — 1916-01-22 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCIL AND THE WAR.  To the Editor of "The Examiner."  Sir,—The whole community, and not the least, the Trade Unionists of Warrington, owe you a debt of gratitude for your trenchant and able exposure of the bombastic claims of this loquacious body. 'Those who have been closely associated for many years with the genuine Trade Unionism of Warrington know full well how frequently the real sense and feeling of Warrington workers have been misrepresented by this pretentious and self-seeking syndicate. The attitude of the members of the Trades and Labour Council in their utter disregard of the thousands of their fellow workmen who have faced and still are facing death and wounds and discomfort indescribable in order to save English, women from worse than death, and English . children from ruthless murder, is not merely unpatriotic and contemptible, but is positively inhuman. The attitude of mind which begets such an outlook is almost inconceivable—but as you have said in the article which you published on Saturday last, and which I hope has been read by every man amongst us—" there it is," and it is necessary to deal with it. Who and what sort of men ( ?) are they who rule the roost on this local gasometer? One has heard of the "Three Tailors of Tooley-street," and verily their " prototypes " yet exist. It is quite certain, however, that the blatant pronouncement recently issued in condemnation of the "Compulsion Bill," coming as it has done on the top of more than one " indiscretion " of a kindred character, has stung and irritated the real, genuine Trade Unionists of the town beyond endurance, and we shall have unmistaken evidence before long of the feeling and sentiments of the great bulk of the working men of Warrington who are sick ..to death of this travesty, of a local Parliament. That there are honourable and capable men on the " Council " is indisputable but, they are not the men who mould its policy—this is propounded by a few brass-lunged, conceited, cranky Ishraaelites, who have never done any good either for themselves or anybody else, and their claim to represent 10,000 of the workmen of Warrington is as impudent as it is false. Thousands of Warrington workmen have joined the Colours—how many members of the Trades and Labour Council have done so?  W•farington workmen have contributed most genel•ously to the various funds which the war has brought into existence. Row many members of he Trades and Labour Council have contributed a single penny to such funds?  We know from their own lips that they are " neutral " in regard to the war, and for recruiting they have done nothing. What sort of hearts have these men (F) to proclaim themselves " neutral " almost within hearing of the cries of drowning women and God's little ones, who were sent to their deaths by the dastardly pirates when the Lusitania was destroyed— " neutral " when one of England's best and bravest and purest women, whose life work had been given to suffering humanity, was foully murdered in Belgium. " Neutral " while Belgian and French women and girls were violated and murdered. " Neutral " when our Canadian brothers came thousands of miles to help in this terrible struggle, and faced and suffered the horrors of "crucifixion," Sir, such " neutrality " is loathsome, and as the great Australian Labour Minister said a few days ago, between such neutrality and the real feeling and sentiment of honest labour there is a "gulf as wide and as deep as the mouth of hell."  Yours faithfully. A