CONTROL OF INDUSTRY

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28399, 4 October 1957, Page 13

CONTROL OF INDUSTRY

Labour Plan Approved

(N.Z. Press Association—Coourightt BRIGHTON, October 2 The Labour Party leaders won a stormy battle at the party's annual conference today over their plan to gain a State foothold in key industries by buying up stock market shares. After violent objections by many speakers who demanded an outright “old-fashioned” nationalisation programme, the plan was approved by vote. It thus became the official policy which a Labour Government will put into force if the party wins the next election At one stage the conference chairman had to call for order to allow a speaker to continue. Some speakers branded the plan “a furtive method” of gaining a State hold in industry. It was opposed by veteran Socialists such as Mr Herbert Morrison and Mr Emanuel Shinwell, themselves top party leaders until ousted a few years ago. But in the end the support of the nation’s biggest trade unions —the Transport and General Workers, the Municipal and General Workers, and the Amalgamated Engineering Union—with their massive block votes, carried the plan through. Card Vote On a card vote —in which delegates throw in the strength of the members they represent—the policy was approved by 5,309,000 votes against 1,276,000—a majority of 4,033,000. The Press Association's lobby correspondent said that a lot of people in the Labour Party were very cross with a lot of other people after the sparkling cut-and-thrust debate on nationalisation. He considered it the most astonishing conference day for years.

“Seldom has the national executive, ranged rather glumly under the great lights, been given such a battering as came from the floor of the conference,” he added. It was left to Mr Gaitskell, addressing for the first time a divided conference, to smooth things out. He said bluntly that it was nonsense .that the new approach was a substitution for nationalisation but he also said it was not right to commit a Labour Government in advance. “We cannot know the exact circumstances that will prevail when we have won the next election," he said. The party had to carry the electorate with it. It would have to explain why additional industries would be nationalised and that could be done only after inquiries had been made.