LABOUR PARTY IN DIFFICULTIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 893, 12 August 1910, Page 5

LABOUR PARTY IN DIFFICULTIES.

MEMBERS WITHOUT SALARIES LIBERAL JOURNAL URGES STATE PAY FOR M.P.'S. TWO REMEDIES AVAILABLE. By Telegraph—Prees Association—Copyright (Eec. August 11, 11.20 p.m.) London, August 11. The "Daily Chronicle" says the House of Lords' decisibn in the Osborne casein which it was laid down that the funds of trades unions cannot be applied for tho purpose of financing Parliamentary representatives—is threatening the whole fabric of labour representation. There are, however two remedies open to tho Labour party.. They may seek to havo an Act passed legalising compulsory levies on trades unionists, out of which to provide the salaries of their members in the House of Commons. On tho other hand, tho party may take what the "Chronicle" considers to bo clearly tho wiser course of pressing for the payment of members of Parliament from the public funds. The Literals would be far from unanimous in supporting'a. proposal to legalise levies for political purposes. Some of the Labour leaders, however, fear that tho. payment of members by the State would impair the solidarity of tho Labour movement, as they oonsider that the party discipline depends upon tho power to bring contumacious members into line by stopping their salaries. The House of Commons, it is pointed out, is unlikely lightly to pass legislation which four judges, have declared to be contrary to public policy and subversive of representative government. Moreover, there aro deep-seated differences in the trades unions themselves. It would be a master-stroke to secure through the Labour party the possibility of financing Socialist propaganda with trades union funds, but the vast majority of trades unionists recent Socialist domination. ,

The "Chronicle," in conclusion, urges the Labour party to seek for the payment of members by the . State.