27 JULY 1912, Page 3

The question of Government intervention in the dock strike was

discussed in the House of Commons on Tuesday upon a motion by Mr. O'Grady for the adjournment of the House. He maintained that there was as much reason for the Govern-

ment to intervene in the present dispute as there had been in the case of the railway and coal disputes. In the course of the debate Mr. Norman Craig said that the only obstacle to a settlement was the insistence of the strike leaders upon the

Federation ticket. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald denied that they were insisting upon it, and expressed his hope that an exchange of opinion would now settle the matter. After Lord Tulli- bardine had appealed for a last effort at conciliation, Mr.

Lloyd George said that it was impossible for the Government to legislate in every individual trade dispute. They had, how- ever, come to the conclusion that it would be necessary to deal with the whole problem in the immediate future. Mr. Bonar Law announced his willingness to consider favourably any proposals that might be made for legislating upon the general question, but he agreed with the Government that in the present dispute the House could not usefully intervene. Mr. O'Grady's motion was defeated by 255 to 58 votes.