Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-20
MEMBERS MAY STARVE
Decision Of English Court Shuts Of
Income from Unions.
MANY ARE ENTIRELY DEPENDENT
Allowance of Thousand Dollars
Yearly Raised by Assessment
All some I'm Commons
Receive.

LONDON. Dec. ls.-(special)-That the
recent decision Of the court Of appeals in
London that the trade union levies for
the support Of the labor members Of Parlia-
ment are illegal and must be stopped will
seriously affect the whole course of British
politics is widely predicted. The labor
party was a growing power in the country
and II remains to be seen now whether It
will be able to survive this blow or whether
1t will be forced to go out Of business.
At the outset it is well to understand
that the labor members of Parliament ara
poor men. They are, in many cases, abso-
lutely dependent on the allowance Of 1900
a year made to them by the labor party,
for England does not pay its legislators,
and II this allowance is cut off they can
not afford to sit In Parliament. The labor
party has been absolutely dependent for
its funds on the trade union levies and
the question now is, Can 1t raise the
money in any other way?
There are two courses open to II. One
is to organize voluntary associations out
side the trade unions, the members OF
which shall contribute, and the other is
to try and amend the law under which
the court of appeals decision was given.
The objection to the first course is that
IL would be very expensive and quite un-
satisfactory. Some Of the most important
trade unions. such as the miners. for in
star &c, who are associated with the labor
party, voted for affiliation by a majority
so small that one may say that half the
members were opposed to it. This means,
of course, that nearly half the members
who have been paying the compulsory levy
for the support of the labor members of
Parliament would refuse to join the volun-
tary associations. 1t has been suggested
that the members OF the voluntary as
sociations might a 1t very
able for the men who refused to Join. but
here again the courts would probably step
ir and protect them. 1t is likely, however,
that voluntary associations will be formed
v hilc an attempt is being made to secure
a change in the law.
Lords Are Opposed.
The objection to the second course is
that the House Of Lords would probably
throw out al amending bill. even if the
commons passed it. Many Of the labor lead
ers think, however, that the bill would
have more chance with the lords than
with the commons, because the labor party
has drawn its strength in far greater pro-
portion from the liberals than from the
tories. A third alternative is the appoint
ihCiN VI the ldbOI members OF parliament
as officials of their unions and this Will
undoubtedly be done in some cases; but
there are at present fifty of them to be
provided for, and all cannot be taken
care of in this way. The party has funds
enough in hand to pay salaries until June
next and it is hoped that by that time a
way will be found out of the difficulty.
The trouble in which the English labor
movement has found itself should be of
particular interest to American trade union
lists in view OF the movement among some
American labor men for the Incorporation
of trade unions. Prior to 1876 the English
trade union was an illegal conspiracy.
which is much the same position as that
occupied by the American unions today.
They flourished outside the law, however,
and it is doubtful If they have gained much
by the act Of 1876 which gave them a
local standing and at the same time clearly
defined what they could and what they
could not do. The main judgment Of the
court Of appeals is based on this act and
it declares that it is no part Of the purpose
for which the trade union is organized TO
maintain representatives, in Parliament.
Payment of Members.
There is no hope of upsetting this point
as long as the law remains what it is,
but another remarkable judgment delivered
by the master of the rolls, who is a mem
Der of the appeal court. will probably be
bitterly attacked. He said in effect that
the payment OF a member of Parliament
by a trade union was unconstitutional be-
cause 1t had the effect of DISTINGUISHING
the constituency. The labor member of
Parliament being under contract to obey
the orders Of his trade union is unable to
represent all the people of his constituency
as he is supposed to do.
The history of the dispute which led to
this decision is also interesting to American
labor men in view Of the persistent efforts
OF the American socialists to capture the
American labor movement The English
socialists, although numerically in a minor
ity, are in control Of the English labor
party and every labor member of Parlia-
ment before qualifying for the allowance
Of 1900 a year is compelled TO sign the
labor party pledge by which he commits
himself to the whole socialist program.
This was brought about, Of course. by the
superior organization and activity Of the
socialists and the apathy of the old-fash-
Toned trade unionists, who found themselves
compelled to pay for a propaganda that
was dlstasteful to them. One Of these men,
a railway servant named Osborne, organized
the opposition in his own union and brought
the suit which has just been decided by
the court of appeals.
Blow 10 Socialism.
The decision is a very serious blow to
socialism, for at one stroke it deprives the
socialists Of the control Of a fund amount
ing TO about $4,000 a year. Even If the
plan for the organization Of voluntary asso-
Citations succeeds they cannot expect more
than half this amount and with a general
election coming on viii be seriously Grip
pied.
Mr.. Ramsay Macdonald, one Of the lead
ers Of the extreme socialist section, de-
clares that the immediate effect of the de-
cision viii be to immensely strengthen the
demand for general payment Of members
of Parliament by the state.
There are lots II men" he said. "who
have no sympathy with US at all, VINO will
say that this decision makes il impossible
for a poor man, no matter how able he
may be, to enter Parliament, and shall