WELFARE LEAGUE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9654, 10 July 1919, Page 5

WELFARE LEAGUE.

CONFERENCE AT WELLINGTON.

WELLINGTON, July 9. A conference of delegates from the newly-formed Welfare League was opened to-day. Mi: C. P. Skerretfc presided.

Mr Skerrett dealt with the great strides made by the, Labour Party in New Zealand, and said uni'ortunateJy Labour had been captured by leaders with extremist and revolutionary views. The country had come to a parting of the- ways. They ' must either stand by supinely and see their rights threatened and their property imperilled, and the government of the country placed in unworthy hands, or they must stand shoulder to shoulder with the league. The crisis was emphasised by the purposes a^ aims of the so-called Labour Party. No sane man could, have any objection to combinations of.Labour for the purpose of safeguarding their rights and interests, or even to promote their legislative interests, but the ambition of trades unions had long vaulted past that. Trade* unionism as it was organised •by the Labour Party and existed in New Zealand was in command of the situation, and was able to defy, and was defying, the laws of the country. Not-content with direct action, they now sought to control the whole civic and political administrations of the country, and were running members for city and borough councils and . Parliament with the object of governing the Dominion by one class in the interests of one class. Over and over again their most prominent leaders had announced approval of'tn"e activities of the I.W.W. and of Bolshevism and of the Reign of Terror, in Russia, and he asked: "Are you prepared to entrust 'the government of the country to such hands as these ?" He referred to the ' Labour Party's manifesto that the peace term's imposed on Germany were too severe, and ridiculed the idea that: the men who issued it were in a position to judge what should be done with the* Germans.

Mr bkerrett said that the price of labour ofciuen and women must not be determined «a 8; a mere commodity by purely market considerations, labour consisted .of flesh and blood, and it was impossible that the health^ welfare, and happiness of human beings essential to the economy of the commonwealth ijhould be determined, merely by the laws of supply and demand. The scheme Tor the betterment of the worker ihust -make for elimination of strikes and restriction of output, and also for the prevention as well as .settlement cf trade disputes. Increased production was essential if the f < commonwealth were not to retrogress. Ho advocated that casual labour should bp reduced to a minimum, as to his mind it was a fruitful source of unrest. Dealing with the part the State should play in private enterprise, Mr Skerrett said that nationalisation, unless in exceptional cases, was unwise, and was no remedy for-".the evils it was hoped to suppress. State concerns could not be carried out with the same- efficiency as privately-con trolled businesses, and aiiy loss was passed on to the public purse. Referring to the cost of* living, Mr Skerrett said that the real remedy was increased :, production, for everything 'that tended to increase .the production of the country tended to increase the purchasing power of the sovereign. The conference discussed the settlement of land at-length, and added the following planks to its platform: — "That a more vigorous policy bevpursued in acquiring Native land, the necessary provision being made for the income of the said land being applied for the benefit of the Natives; the complete ' revision of the principles which govern the valuation of land; gome control by the State over the resale of agricultural and pastoral land. with a view to checking speculation." The following officers were elected: President, Mr C. P. Skerrett: vieeprpsidents, Major Lusk (Auckland), Messrs H. Akers (Palmerston North), G M. Ollivier (Christchurch), E. H. Williams (Hastings), James Begg (Punedin), and J. McLcod (New~"Plymou'th); national executive. Major Lusk, Messrs C. Gresson, J. LinkLiter. E. Kellett. J. B. Waters, J. S. MafEwftii. A. Macintosh, H. Mainland, B. Burns, and Durward. Tho conference has concluded.