POLITICAL AFFILIATION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 141, 1 July 1937, Page 4

POLITICAL AFFILIATION

-Freaa Aaanp.ial.inn l 1

Railway Officers' Attitude

(By TelegraDil-

WELLINGTON, Last Nightr. , Oue of the important qiiestions to b# decided by the conference of the National Executive of the New Zealand Railway Officers ' Institute, at present sitting 'in. Wellington, is whethef th# institute should qffiliate with any poliitcal party. Several remits bearing on . the snhject have been submitted. A proposal from Wellington is that a referendum be taken of all membership and d two-third majority b# obtained before steps are taken to affiliate with any political party. South Auckland suggests that the institut# should affiliate witli the New Zealand Labour Party, and the Main Trunk and Palmerston branches propose that a referendum of -the institute members should be taken on the question of affiliation with the Labour Party, Main Trunk suggesting that the ballot should be confined to members over the ag# of twenty-one. Before last year, orgianisations of Government servants were prohibited from making 'conti'ibntions to the funds of political -parties, but the restriction was removed by the Political Disabilities Rtmoval Act of last session. The Act provides that the funds of any society may be applied in the further«'i',tLixf.'*o£ political objects if a majority "'"or members of the society so decide# by ballot.