IMPORTANT JUDGMENT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144082, 29 April 1913, Page 7

IMPORTANT JUDGMENT.

THE POWER OF A UNION. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 29. Judgment was given by Dr. M‘Arthur, S.Mi, to-day in the case in which Julius Hansen, a seaman, sued W. T. Young secretary of the Federated Seamen’s Union of Australasia and the union, claiming £l9 damages. Hansen alleged that defendants had, with the intention of preventing him from obtaining work, unlawfully refused him permission to join the union. , ' The Magistrate said plaintiff was nine years ago a member of the Seamen’s Union. Afterwards he joined the Wharf Labourers’ Union. Later on he desired to join the Seamen’s Union, which was then unregistered, and with his informal application he forwarded 16s to Young, also stating hie willingness to call and sign any required declaration. His Worship, after reviewing the law' points raised, said it semed conclusive that any court could not entertain any legal proceedings instituted -with the object of enforcing or recovering damages for the non-admission of a new member into a trades union. That might be contrary to the spirit of the democracy of the present day, but it appeared to him to be the plain reading of-and the conclusion to be drawn from the Act. The gist of the argument of counsel for plaintiff was that plaintiff was written off the books and that, therefore, _ all he was liable for in order to rejoin the union was at the utmost to payone year’s arrears iu order to rejoin as a now member. This, said the Magistrate, I would he willing to admit had the society or union remained registered, but this was not so. I hold there is no power for this court to enforce or uphold the claim of. plaintiff, therefore judgment must be given for defend-