THE POLITICAL LEVY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18950, 23 February 1925, Page 9

THE POLITICAL LEVY.

BRITISH TRADES UNIONS. CONTROVERSY ABOUT SYSTEM. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 5.5 p.m.l LONDON. Feb. 21. The Observer states that opinions, even among the Conservatives, are greatly divided concerning the Trades Union Political Levy Bill. This is tho private measure which Mr. F. A. Macquisten, Conservative member for Argyle, has undertaken to introduce. It proposes that trades unionists, instead of being obliged to contribute to a political fund unless they declare their objection in writing, should in future bo obliged to declare their willingness to do so, otherwise they would not bo obliged to contribute. In other words, they would have to contract in instead of contracting out. According to the Observer, four Conservative members have given notice to move for the straight-out rejection of the bill. Two other groups have given notice to move amendments demanding that the measure shall not be proceeded with, pending elaborate inquiries into tho relations between the trades unions and industry, and tho operation of the 1913 Act. Tho paper says that although the case against the ptesent system of the trades unions' political levy is unanswerable, it. hopes the Government will have the political wisdom to leave well alone. The measure, which is not urgent, and is a sidajjssue, will, it fears, be interpreted as a challenge to trades unionism, and may result in Labour gaining more in political qpgatfa Urn &