AN IMPORTANT JUDGMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 290, 30 April 1913, Page 5

AN IMPORTANT JUDGMENT.

POWERS OF A UNION. Per Press Association. Wellington, April 29. Judgment was given by Dr. McArthi S.M., to-day in the case in which Julhi Hansen, a "seaman, sued W. T. Youn secretary of the Federated Seamen's Ur lon of Australasia and the union, elaiir ing £l9 damages. Hansen alleged tha defendants had, with the intention o preventing him from obtaining work unlawfully refused him permission t join the union. The Magistrate said plaintiff was nin years ago a member of the Seamen's Un ion. Afterwards he joined the Whar Laborers' Union. Later on he desired ti join the Seamen's Union, wliich was thei unregistered, and with his informal ap plication he forwarded 16a to Young also stating his willingness to,call am sign any required declaration. Bis Wor ship, after reviewing the law point! raised, said it seemed conclusive that am court could not entertain any legal pro ceedings instituted with the object ol enforcing or recovering damages for tin non-admission of a new member into a trades union. That might be contrary to the spirit of the democracy of the pre sent day, but it appeared to him to be the plain reading of and the conclusion to be drawn from the Act. The gist ol the argument of counsel for plaintiff wa> that plaintiff was written off the books and that, therefore, all he was liable foi in order to rejoin the union was at the utmost to pay one year's arrears in order to rejoin as a new member. This said the Magistrate, T would be. willing to admit had the society or union remained registered, but this was not so, I hold there is no power for this court to enforce or uphold the claim of plaintiff, therefore judgment must be given for defendants. v