UNION TYRANNY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 948, 15 October 1910, Page 12

UNION TYRANNY.

HOW LEVIES ARE EXTORTED.

FOR PROPOSED DAILY PAPEB. |

The following,, from the "Sydney Morn-: ing Herald," of. the 4th instant, eiplaina l the.-not," very, clear cable message upoa which comment appeared in The Dominion of Monday. Tho surmise in The Dominion's article,Ut ■ will; be!seen,;. iunis : ;out to correct:—'.'; v-' V- 1 'V;;-,J;

• It appears that, a number of tradesunionists, who have been- loyal to-their ; organisations: from their youth, and- wjio • ■ have subscribed freely to all funds • ini - tiated for legitimate •' trades-union ;pirJ poses, 'strongly 'object.; to a- levy beingmade .on their weekly earnings for tho -- ' establishment of a daily. newspaper. The '' adoption of this independent attitude has aroused the wrath or prominent Labour . ■ leaders,, who now threaten 'to '.takej'legal:, proceedings against men who have • al> '- : nays promptly paid their.- dues, but: d<*' ■ cline; to become shareholders corn-' _ ■ mercial enterprise. / ' : The unfortunate victims are reminded in a menacing manner that there is. no. .. ' a 7.' a 7. °^. escape, for,; shonld they , attempt - to free •, themselves from tyrannical rota by■;resigning. membership;'they- will still;; V: '; be pursued, into .the law courts; and coq.pelled-. to meet all tho demands macio upon them. The official - which appears in tho "Brisbane Worker, is in :■ the- following terms:— ' • , .„■ ■ "While,' so far as the season'has gone, nearly the. whole of our .members hav© boon-loyally paying up their levies'for the 'Labour Daily" in their first 6heds, .there yetvhave^bpfeh,'instances,where '6oma S : ' have refused to do 60. - ■ ■ ■

"The levy was imposed by a huge majority vote of • the' members themselves, .and it'-is to be regretted that there is evenvone member in our midst prepared, to violate • union principles by trying to evade payment 'Tor -the information of such, therefore, we would' quote Secton' 68 -of tho Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitra- • tion Act of 1904. , .TTiis is; the ..sections 'All fines, levies, or dues payable to: aa 1 •;■>■; organisation by any member thereof "utt-i der its rules, may, in so far .as they are, owing for any period, of membership subsequent to the registration' or procla- »' i mation of tfce organisation, bo sued to :: and recovered in-the. name'of the organ-' isation in any court of summary jurisdi<v tion constituted • by a■; police, stipendiary, or special magistrate.* ■;. "A .further.: provision in schedule' 3' of 1 i{the.'Same Act provides 'that'no member shall, .discontinue - his membership' with-' I .out-giving, at least three months' previous. • .written ' notice ...to .the -secretary -of his • i intention jo do so,; nor without :paying all; — membership subscriptions v and; dues ow« " ing by, him to the association. ,' - '- - : ■ I "As the A.W .XT. was registered as-'an • - organisation' in 1905, there can -be no v ■ question as to ' the power -of the union •to take;• action and ■ recover the levy,-, while ' the section last quoted • makes it quite • clear-that *a member' cannot evade pay-'s : mont by resigning, since' ho must first I pay.' .up 'all .fnembership , subscriptions ' ■ I and dues', owing: by.= him ; before; he can : even take that step. \ I; "The levy must bei.paid, and .that boI ing so, the few who have-been ..inclined to stand out should / make; a merit <& :. necessity, - and : pay . up ; promptly,'-. "W. G. SPENCE, President ' ' . "DONALD MACDONELL, Gen. Sec> Mx. ..W. G.: Sperice, the president' of fl» '.' Australian Workers'i Union,'; is one of the ' Labour members of theHouse-of-Eepre-sontatives;.'while Mr. Donald Macdonnell ■: ■■■■"■■ has been returned unopposed as the L»« bour representative of Cobar in the Leg' ! : islative Assembly , of- this: State. -' • ■■