The Henson Journals

[110]

Wednesday, January 14th, 1920.

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[Reading: "The Spirit" ed. Streeter.]

I muddled away the morning over the Lectures. General Clive & his wife, and Mr & Mrs Clive lunched here before the service in the Cathedral at which the memorial to Col. Percy Clive was unveiled by the Lord Lieutenant. There was a considerable gathering of people among whom were the tenantry. Mrs Clive & her two boys made a pathetic appearance.

An illuminating case is before the courts. The plaintiff, Hodges, is a foreman, and claims that the defendant, Webb, compelled him to be dismissed by his employers, by threatening to call out the members of the Electrical Trade Union unless he were dismissed. The defendant admitted that "he told Hodges that if he was not prepared to join the E.T.U. he (Webb) wd have to call his men off the job". This is an interesting illustration of the working of the Trades Disputes Act, and the verdict cannot fail to have far–reaching consequences. If (as is quite likely) the verdict is for the defendant, it will be curious to mark the attitude of our Christian Socialists, who profess themselves so zealous for "Life and Liberty" in the Church of England.

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