CHALLENGE TO LABOUR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 February 1925, Page 5

CHALLENGE TO LABOUR.

POLITICAL LEV T BILL. LABOUR MEMBER’S OPINION. BY ICABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT LONDON, Feb. 23. Speaking at a meeting of the South Wales Association of Labour members at Pontypridd, Mr Mardy Jones, M.P., secretary of the trade union group, said that the Tory Party and many Liberals favoured the trade union Political Levy Bill as a means of undermining Labour politically, but were afraid to support it, fearing the consequences at next general election. Lord Birkenhead headed a section of the Tory Party who knew the Bill, if it became law, would inaugurate the greatest political crisis the country had ever witnessed. It would be a challenge to the Labour Party industrially and politically, and do more for the return to power of the Labour Government at next election than anything else.— Reuter. CONSERVATIVE OPINION. The Observer points out that even .Conservative opinion is greatly divided in connection with Mr. MacQnisten’s Bill, which provides that unionists, instead of being obliged to contribute to a political fund, unless they declare their objection in writing, * shall in future be obliged to declare their willingness, otherwise they will not be obliged to. contribute. Four Conservatives have given notice of the straight-out rejection motions, and two other groups have, given, notice of amendments demanding that the Bill he not proceeded with pending elaborate inquiries into trade unions, industry. and the operation of the 1913 Act.

The Observer editorially argues that, while the case against the present system of t7xe trade unions’ political levy is u nanswerable, it is to he hoped the Government will have the political wisdom to leave well alone. The measure, which is not urgent but only a. side issue, would he interpreted as a challenge to trade unionism and would result in Labour gaining more in political .sympathy than it would lose financially.