COMPULSORY POLITICS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2203, 16 July 1914, Page 6

COMPULSORY POLITICS

Not much new ground was broken in the discussion which took place in the House of ltepresentatives last evening on the subject of the control of union funds. The Prime Minister took up an.unassailable position when- he maintained that to permit industrial unions to use their funds, at the dictation of a majority, for political purposes would be to divert these organisations from their "intended purpose, and his'position was in, no way shaken by the somewhat clumsy comparisons drawn by Sir Joseph Ward and some of the Labour members between trade unions and bodies of art entirely •■ different character. Mr. Veitch laboured hard -to bolster up an impossible case, but only succeeded in exposing its weaknesses. He argued that times had changed, that the, old system of trades unionism was obsolete, and that unionists were under the necessity of seeking a political remedy for their disabilities. This is well enough in. its way, but it will not justify a man being compelled, because he .finds it necessary ,or convenient to belong to an industrial organisation, to lend financial aid to a political party with which .ho-'may be completely out of sympathy. Even the member for Wangamii was constrained to admit that the fact that preference to unionists makes unionism compulsory in many industries has some bearing upon the position. Most peoplo will consider that i't has a vital bearing, and that to compel a man. to join an industrial union in order to seouro • employment, and then, having , got him there, to use the money ho contributes for industrial purposes to serve political ends which he may not agree with, would be an abuse of trades unionism. Some, interesting light was thrown ■ upon the question by Mr. W. H. D. Bell and other members, but the whole thing is summed up in the statement that if the Labour .extremists who wish t-o tyrannise in this, 'fashion had their " way comfpulsory unionism would be converted into compulsory politics. The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher put an interesting tail-piece to the discussion when he pointed out that the law relating to the control of union funds was passed in its present form by ,tho party which now follows Sir Joseph Ward. The New Zealand' kiw_ on . the subject stood exactly as it does .at present when the famous Osborne Judgment was delivered in Great Britain, but although Sir Joseph' Ward was in power with a, big, majority, he did not then manifest any desire to alter thelaw. As Mr Fisher pointed out, it.is only now when he-is out of office that Sib Joseph Ward has discovered that the law which ho maintained with unconcern whon in office is iniquitous. Wo wonder how many labour unionists will be induced to enter the fold of Wardism by moans of such shallow devices.