A SECRET BALLOT FOR THE TRADE UNIONS
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Sta,--No one is a greater admirer or upholder than I am of the principle of Trade Unionism as it was at the first established for the benefit of our industrial classes. But those days have, I fear, passed. There seems to me now to be an ominous danger of these passing from their first estate—i.e., as a protection for the working man into little less than secret political societies, governments within the great central Government of our country. The peril of this needs no demonstration. There would appear to be but one remedy in the immediate present to counter such a movement. This appears to me to lie in the direction of assuring that all ballots taken by any Trade Union should be absolutely secret, that no member should be in any danger of persecution from the vote he may record. This accomplished we should at least be certain that any decision come to by the ballot in any Union represented the wishes and opinions of the majority of that Union, and whatever that decision we should be able to accept it as truly representative of the majority of the members of that Union.
It is to be feared as matters at present stand that a small, extremist minority—Communist or other—may at any time capture the direction of any Union and so be able to enforce the greatest and often most cruel tyranny over its other members. The danger of such a state of things to our country's welfare is as I said above obvious. "Secrecy of ballot" has been judged essential to secure free expression of opinion in the political world. Surely, what is considered essential for the one must be equally so as regards the other.
. Nor would this involve any undue interference with the internal administration of the Union. It would only ensure that whatever action any Union may determine to adopt it has the absolute and willing support of the majority of that Union. The rest may, I think, be safely left to the proverbial commonsense and sterling patriotism of our working classes in England.—I am, Sir, &c.,
CECIL ASHLEY.
[We quite agree about the need for a secret ballot. So no doubt does the Prime Minister. But this does not alter the fact that the Prime Minister is wise to avoid a conflict with Labour which would hold up indefinitely matters of greater importance. The real hope for Trade Union reform is to encourage the reforming movement from within. —En. Spectator.]
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