Manchester, Aug. 20. it is very probable that in the coming autumn session of Parliament the now Trades' Union Amondment Act will pass its third reading and be placed upon the Statute book. 1f-so it will cause justifiable uneasiness in the minds of everyone far-seeing enough to realize how a policy of continual and wanton pinpricks to the constitutional element in the Labour movement &must end in driving it into the arms of the extremists.
may be remembered that the 'Trades' Union Amendment Act was a private member's bill lucky enough to obtain a hearing at the last (Parliamentary session and pass into the committee stage, where it achieved notoriety through the turbulence of the Labour minority sitting on the committee. Owing their obstructionist tactics the bill was prevented from obtaining its third reading before Parliament adjourned.
The Dill itself represents futile attempt by the—reaction-wry element in the Coalition to cripple Labour representation in Parliament by cutting off its main financial support, which is derived from a small levy imposed by the trade unions on those of its {members who make no formal protest inst paying it. Prior to the Osborne case in 1909, in which a railway servant who was a member of the Railwayman's Union obtain-injunction against that preventing them from imposing any levy on their members for a political object, it was the custom for trade unions to impose such x levy by majority vote.
From the time of the Osborne judgement until 1913 all contribu-tiens to a trade union for political objects had to be voluntarily made by individual members. Tu 1913 the Labour P; with the help of Mr. quite, gov a bill passed slying trade ions the power to impos? a levy on all those mem-hers who did not formally—apply for exemption from As few attempted to do this, cither because the sum was so trifling, or through wupathy, or because they agreed with its object, the new bill gave the political activities of the trade unions a h lease of life, and they have. since carried on an incvoasingly ambitious programme without interference from the eroment or the other—political parties.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.