UNION FUNDS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17981, 26 January 1924, Page 12

UNION FUNDS.

INVESTIGATED BY PUBLIC

AUDITOR.

FIRST CASE IN THE DOMINION

"What is understood to be the first instance of action having been taken, under Section 3 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration (Amendment) Act, 1922, has occurred in connexion with the affairs of one of the unions of workers in Christchurch registered under the principal Act. Tho section referred to, in addition to a provision relating to unionß, or industrial associations, and any society bound by an agreement under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, as to keeping in proper form a correct account. or receipts and expenditure, also gives pownr to the Registrar of Industrial Unions, if he has reason to believe that any accounts have not been properly kept, or any moneys have' been misappropriated, to require any union, association, or society to submit its accounts to a public auditor appointed under the Friendly Societies Act, 1909. Provision is made for the imposing of a fine of £5 per day during which default continues, for failure to comply with the provisions of the section, and for making false entries in, or omissions from, any books of accounts.

The books of tho Christchurch union already referred to have been examined by a Christchurch accountant and auditor qualified, as required by the Act, to do so, but the results of ms investigation have not yet been ma'le public. The matter is creating a considerable amount of interest and comiiient in trades union and Labour ciroles, and it is expected that some interesting developments will take place at no distant date.