13 DECEMBER 1913, Page 3

The National Labour Convention specially convened to discuss the trade

deadlock in Dublin was held at the Memorial Hall, Farringdon Street, on Tuesday. Mr. Henderson, M.P., who presented the report of the trade union delegation to Dublin, defended the action of himself and his colleagues, and recommended that the negotiations should be resumed. Mr. Henderson's reference to attempts that had been made to prejudice the officials of the unions evoked angry protest from Mr. Larkin, and the resolution proposed by Mr. Ben Tillett deploring and condemning the unfair attacks on British trade union officials led to stormy recriminations between Mr. Larkin and Messrs. Thomas, Havelock Wilson, and Sexton. Mr. Larkin ultimately made a speech in his own defence which met with a mixed reception. Besides Mr. Tillett's resolution, others were carried pledging the trade unions to continued financial support of the Dublin strikers, and instructing the Joint Board to endeavour to reopen negotiations with the employers, an amendment in favour of the sympathetic strike having been rejected by a ten to one majority. -In the course of the discussion of this amendment Mr. James Williams, of the Railwaymen's Union, pointed out that if it were carried it would mean that all the railwaymen would always be on strike, for there was never a day on which they were not asked to handle goods from firms which had disputes with their workpeople.