§ MR. RICHARDSON (Nottingham, S.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that in the year 1901 the Registrar of Friendly Societies registered the rules of the Derbyshire Miners' Association, containing as one of the objects of the association the promotion of legislation and labour representation, and that, on application being made by the NottsMiners' Association to register revised rules, he now requires the deletion of the same object from those rules; and will he explain why this distinction is being made.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. MCKENNA, Monmouthshire, N.)The chief registrar informs me that his action with regard to the Notts Miners' Association was based upon the interpretation, which he places upon the definition of a trade union as given in Section 16 of the Trade Union Act (1871) Amendment Act. The action referred to in 1901 was taken by the predecessor of the present chief registrar, presumably upon a different interpretation of his duties under the Act.