LABOUR CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12483, 20 April 1906, Page 4

LABOUR CONFERENCE.

YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. The confereooe of delegates representing tie Trades and Labour Councils of fhe colony resumed yesterday morning at nine o'clock in. tie Municipal Chambers, Mr W. Hood (chairman) presiding. The following delegates were in their places:—Messrs A. H. Cooper, D. McLaren, D. H. Hampton, W. Weetbrook, A. Collins, A. Roeser, W. Wai- j lace, T. G. Lore, J. H. Moore, R. Breen, J. T. Paul, W. Oannington, F. Bate, E. Godmß, J. Barr, end J. Thorn (eecretary). "MADE IN NEW ZEALAND. Mr P. Patz (Neflson) moved:—"That legislation: be reporomended to pro-Fide that all {goods tmaamfaobured in the ooiony be marked 'Made in New Zealand. , " The speaker also advocated a heavy penalty for a fraudulent use of such, a stamp. Mr E. Gohtie eeoonded the motion. • Mr Cooper moved:—"That the incoming Executive be requested to devise a Bdfceme for inducing 4he publk) to encourage locally manufactured goods." Mr J. Thorn' seconded the motion, which was put and carried. , BOARD OF APPEAL. Mr E. Gohne (Canterbury) mored:— "That the Government be urged to introduce legislation, to provide Boardb of Appeal in. conmeotion. with Ihoepitals for the "mentally afflicted, orphanages, industrial schools, inebriates' homes, and all inrititutioiM other tiban gaols where people can 'be detained a®ainet their -wMle, such Boardb to have power to deal with unjust dismissal of attondanrte and nureea, w arbiitrary and unjust treatment of same by superior officers, or any oaeee of euspeoted iHegai detention; tiiart. tlio Lunacy Act be amended in the direction of making it more difficult to oomanit people to asryhims Ktitihout $a* fullest investigation of all , oaeee, and to provide a fiieary. penalty in. dasee where illegai uses areattempted to be xnade of eadh inatiiutione; «tao to enforce the penalty where asylum attendant* are ooiwicted of brutal aasaultß on patients." Mr J. Thorn seconded the motion, which was carried after a ehort discueek>D. . RELIABLE STATISTICS. Mr J. T. Paul (OUgo) moved:—"That iMs Conference agaiia urges upon the Government the necessity of introducing a Bill on the lines "brought forward by the Hon. W. P. Reeves in 1896. to enable "the Department of Labour to demand reliable rita'tristica for zte r«portfl." Speaking to the motion, he said tttiat reliable were required to enable them to estimate the relation of waxes to the coat of living. Mr D. McLaren seconded the motion, wihtah was-carried without dissent. EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK. Mr A. Collins (Wellington) moved: " That the Government be requested to introduce legislation providing that where male and female workers are employed they receive equal pay for equal work, and that the same facilities be granted females as males in procuring work which they are equally capable of performing." Mr £. Gohne seconded the. motion, which was put and carried. THE ISSUE OF STATE NOTES. Mr W. Hood (Otago) left the chair to move: " That the Government be urged to iseuo legal tender State notes for the purpose of completing the unfinished Main Trunk and other important railway lines now in oburee of construction, and for other permanent and reproductive works, with a view to providing a permanent currency as a medium of exchange for the internal trade of this colony." The mover said the Conference had been accused by the Press, of being irrespomeibte individuals who wanted to turn out money by the eimple expedient of a bale of paper and a printing press, and thus become wealthy. But that wee as tar from the truth as day was from night. This country possessed no currency of ite own; the Australasians were almost unique in that respect. Canada had a note issue, and the ! banks were compelled to hold 80 per cent, of their reserves in State notes, instead of gold. The gold was thue released ana the Government had the use of it. The currency in these colonies wae controlled by capitalists, who were able to expand the currency and expand trade, or to depress the currency amd depress trade as it euated them. He proposed that there ehouki be an issue of State notes to the extent of five millions sterling. At present the banks held coin to the extent of 31 millions, and notes to the extent of lj millions. The total liabilities of the banks doing business in the colony* amounted to some 20 millions, and they had a reserve of only 6J mi uions, and ho held that there would be greater security than this if the note issue wae in the bands of the State. The capitalist* dreaded a State note iesuo more than anything else, and if the Conference advocated the Press would revile them, sneer at them, and brand them ac faddists; but there wae a motive in it because they did not want the democracy to get ihe power a control of the currency would give them. Mr J. Thorn seconded the motion, which wae carried after a short die* cuesion. A STATE BANK. Mr J. Thorn, moved:—"That the Bank of New Zealand be converted into a State bank with the sole right of note issue." Mr E. Gohne seconded the motion, which was also carried. The Conference rose at 5,5 p.m. Reports of the debates on contract labour, the Arbitration Act, and the attack on Mr Justice Chapman appear elsewhere.