For a short time during the debate on the Trade
Unions Bill in the House of Commons on Tuesday it looked as though the whole character of the Bill might be changed. The opportunity passed, but the debate was an extremely useful one and something may come of it. The occasion was the moving of an amendment by Sir Leslie Scott to incorporate in the Bill a clause based on the highly successful Canadian Statute for settling industrial disputes. This Statute forbids any strike or lock-out until a Committee of Inquiry, which can be demanded by either party to the dispute, has published a report upon the facts. Sir Leslie Scott pointed out that there was no question of compulsory arbitration unless both sides previously agreed to accept an award. Nor did he wish to tamper with the existing machinery of conciliation.
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