In the Commons on Monday on the Motion for going
into Committee on the Army Estimates Mr. Ramsay Macdonald moved an amendment to affirm that "the conditions of service of Government employees should be in every respect at least equal to those observed by the best private employers." This Motion was supported by many Unionist Members, and in order to avoid a division which seemed likely to be fatal to the Government the discussion was adjourned to Tuesday, when Mr. Haldane and Mr. Buxton spoke, as well as Mr. Wyndham and Mr. Lyttelton. Although the leaders of the Opposition recommended their followers not to support the amendment, it became clear that their advice was not to be generally accepted. The position of the Government became so critical that when the division was finally taken the Labour Members, or at any rate a great many of them, were obliged to abstain from supporting their own amendment, which was only defeated by 63 votes.
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