BRITISH TRADE UNIONS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18550, 27 November 1925, Page 9

BRITISH TRADE UNIONS.

INDUSTRIAL AND POLITICAL FREEDOM. (Br CABLE -rfiESS ASSOCIATION—COPyRIGHT.) (AUBKUMAJf AND -H.Z. CABLE ASSOCUTIOK.) LONDON, November 25. In the House of Commons 'Mr F. A. MacQuisten, supported by Mr J. G. Fairfax, ro-iiitroduced tho Bill restoring to members of trade unions their industrial aid political freedom. The chief provision is that within six months of the passing of the Bill all moneys collected under the Trade Union Act, 1913, shall.- be paid over to the funds of subscribing trade unions. This virtually diverts the money from political purposes.

phone branch of tlio P. and T. Department a concession in the annual rates be given users. A revision of the bankruptcy legislation was advocated, and a remit that the present duty of twopence on cheques and receipts be reduced to the pre-war sum of one penny was approved. The Government was urged to amend tho list of statutory bank holidays to conform with those of other commercial institutions. A proposal that banks should close at -noon on Saturdays instead of 11.30 was defeated. Tho Conference reaffirmed its pre-' vious resolution regarding the desirability of the Gcryernment inviting ten,ders by advertisement in tie usual manner for goods, etc. Publicity and Immigration. The need for greater publicity dbroad was 6trongly stressed, thus assisting in tho prosperity and progress of the Dominion. Mr H. D. Thomson, Under-Secretary of the Immigration Department, spoke on the remit dealing with immigration. He gave a comprehensive- report of the operations of his Department, and' said that the allegations regarding linfit immigrants landing in New Zealand and becoming a burden on> the State were absolutely unfounded. He said that with the many thousands of immigrant!) who had landed in New Zealand in tho past few years they could not hope to get 100 per cent, efficiency, but the proportion of unfitwas very small compared with the numbers coming to the country. He had gone to Auckland and interviewed tlio representative of the British Empire scheme and bad er,deavoured to obtain permission to use part of tiie British Government's allotment for assisting immigrant to r-ome here to. be devoted to house building for these immigrants, but without success. He explained tbat the reason why immigrants were not nominated to go to Invercargiil and some of the towns in the North Island direct was because the shipping companies contracted to carry immigrants to centres only. His Department, however, paid the cost of transport of immigrants from central ports to tho towns thev wished to go to. He said that the "High Commissioner's office in London was exercising excellent discretion in selecting suitable immigrants, and that his Department was uot lacking in endeavouring to bring aftout the full success of the scheme.