TIMBER WORKER’S DUES

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1929, Page 2

TIMBER WORKER’S DUES

SUED FOR BY UNION. A question o'f liability for dues to the Westland Timber Yard and Sawmill Workers’ Union was decided at the Greymouth Magistrate’s Court this morning by Air AV. Meldrum, S.M., after hearing a case in which the Union, for which Mr AV. J. Joyce appeared, claimed £1 from James McA’ea, who was defended' by Air H. F. Doogan. A further claim for a line of 10/ was waived by Air Joyce, who produced the rules covering cessation of membership and payment of dues. Air Doogan asked Frederick Lovell Turley, secretary of the Union, whether he would give AlcVea his clearance upon payment of £l, claimed as being due to March 31.

The reply was that the secretary had no power to do so, as the rules required that three months’ notice of intention to leave the Union was necessary. - Turley, giving evidence, said that McA’ea had been a member of the Union for some time and was liable under the rules for the amount claimed, but he had simply said that lie would pot be bothered with the hospital levy included. However, since the Union had been committed to pay a certain sum to the Hospital Board, it had been decided to collect the hospital levy, and there had been no resolution during the past year remitting any of that amount. Witness went on to explain how, when lie called on AlcV'ea for payment lie had a receipt already nrepared, and when the latter had paid only £1 the receipt was altered accordingly. AlcVea Was the only one of 60 members who refused to pay the hospital levy. McA 7 ea contended that when ’fe paid £1 on December 31 and had got a receipt for it, he had notified the Secretary that he wanted his discharge from the Union, and had been told to call upon the Secretary to get it. Asked by the Magistrate what was his real objection, McVea said that he refused to pay other people’s hospital fees and that he would pay Iris own if necessary. He claimed that the Secretary should have given him his discharge when he applied lor it. The Magistrate told defendant that

lie should have got his discharge from the Union. in the proper way, because, as a member, he was bound by its rules, to give three months’ notice of his intention to withdraw. Judgment was given for £l, with 10/ costs.