31 JANUARY 1931, Page 1

News of the Week

The Trade Disputes Bill THE Government have survived the first crisis of the 41; Trade Disputes Bill with a majority of 27 in the division on the second reading debate in the House of CoMmons, but after the basting the Bill received it is not Illiely to be recognizable after it has been through the Com- niittee stage and still less if the House of Lords ever tackles it. The Government must, of course, do all that they can for it, as they are pledged to the Trade 'Unions, but in their hearts they must, know that the average man in the factory, is not much interested. At all events, the attempts of the Labour leaders to raise the clans against the Act of 1927, shortly after it had been passed, was a dead failure. The wage-earner suffered too much from the General Strike to want another, and it is there? fore for him rather an academic question whether such a *thing is to be legalized or to remain illegal.

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