UNION FUNDS AUDITS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 279, 22 August 1944, Page 4

UNION FUNDS AUDITS

Addressing a National laity supporters’ meeting at Silverstream. Mr B V Cookslev dealt with criticism by Mi. Meaehen (Government. Marlborough) in the House of Representatives of the National Partv favouring the audit of union funds Mr. Cooksley said that the books of all primary producers’ orcnniziilions for which fees were contributed by statutory authority were subiect to Government audit. Union membership was a statutory obligation, unless one wanted to he unemployed, so why not. extend the same principle of official audit to union funds? Primary producers’ organizations of file tvi’c he mentioned could not without Ministerial consent contribute to the funds of scientific bodies engaged on work benefiting their industry. I'or Mr. Moachon to speak of official audits of voluntary bodies in the same breath as union audits was drawing a red herring across I lie trail. When a Government made union membership, nnd nnvment.of union foes comnulsorv; it should provide the necessnrv sifoguards for the administration of the huge aggregate sums col loefod ns the result of its own ’egisla lion. Opposition to such satogitards suggested there wns something to hide.