UNION FEES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 253, 24 October 1936, Page 13

UNION FEES.

CASE OF OBJECTORS. COMPULSION UNDER ACT. SPECIAL FUND SUGGESTED. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Friday. A long discussion took place in the House of Representatives this morning regarding the attitude of Seventh Day Adventists towards compulsory unionism, and the suggestion was made that members of the sect might be permitted to pay their unions fees into a special benevolent fund instead of into tile ordinary union funds. The matter arose from the presentation of a report on the petition of H. E. Piper and 1789 others praying for exemption from the compulsory unionism provisions contained in the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act passed in the first part of the present session. The Labour Bills Committee recommended that the petition should be j referred to the Government for consideration. The Hon. A. Hamilton (National, Wallace) expressed the hope that the Government would give consideration to the request of the petitioners. "A Ticklish Problem." The Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, said he had nothing but the greatest respect for the society. They were taking up exactly the same attitude that members of the Labour (party had supported from 1914 to 1918. At the same time, the problem was a ticklish one. Ho would be the last member of tile Hojse to run counter to the conscientious principles of anybody, but one would imagine from what had been said that an entirely new principle had been introduced into the law. Seventh Day Adventists had been established in New Zealand for 40 years, and for 30 years of that time there had been compulsory unionism in various forms in nearly all the principal industries. Compulsory unionism had been written into awards by the Arbitration Court. "During the time we have had compulsory unionism," he said, "there have been Seventh Day Adventists living in New Zealand, and never before has ,a protest been entered. I have been in the trades union movement all my life, and I have never heard of any protest. No new principle has been entered at all."

Mr. Hamilton: Why'did you amend the law, then? The Minister said that in a number of industries workers were asked to produce their union cards before they were given employment. He would be prepared to recommend to trades union secretaries that they should allow Seventh Day Adventists to pay their union fees into a benevolent fund, and he thought the suggestion would be acceptable. Compulsion Favoured. The Minister of Education, the Hon. P. Eraser, said that what Mr. Armstrong had done was to point out that there had been an extension of the law relating to compulsory unionism. He knew of Seventh Day Adventists who worked on the waterfront and were most enthusiastic unionists and were in favour of compulsion. "We are not going to make an amendment to an Act that was passed a few days ago," said the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage. "In the administration of the law as it stands, we will meet these people and all others with justice, so far as justice can be done. I think we can leave it there. The Government is sympathetic towards the people with religious beliefs and conscientious objections. So far as we can meet their wishes without destroying the principles of unionism it will be done." Mr. R. A. Wright (Independent, Wellington Suburbs) said that Seventh Day Adventists took no part in politics. Air. F. W. Schramm (Government, Auckland Fast); What about J. B. Donald ? He stood against me at the last election. \ Mr. H. Atmore (Independent, Nelson) hoped that the Government would < r ive wav to the wishes of the petitioners. The report; was tabled.