POLITICAL LABOUR LEAGUE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 200, 18 May 1908, Page 10

POLITICAL LABOUR LEAGUE.

A SUNDAY MEETING. SONGS AND ADDRESSES. A "public meeting for all interested in social progress" was held by the Political Labour League in the Theatre Royal last evening. A collection was taken up at the admission doors. About 250 peoplo attended, Mr. A. H. .Hindmarsh presidod, and other members of the, League sat with him on the stage. Secular orchestral items were rendered for fifteen minutes prior to the commencement of the speeches. The subject for discussion was "High ronts and cost_of living." The Chairman said that the meeting was the first of a series that would be held rn Sundays during the winter—with the exception of next Sunday. Ho wanted lo say something about the formation of a new party in New Zealand. They were told tl-at the Progressive party should stick to tho Liberal party. But they v/ero following tho trend of things throughout' the Dominion in forming a new' party. The Liberal party they had been accustomed to support had grown up in a back period in England and America. In both these'countries they now saw the grbwth of other parties, and in Now Zealand a party, had arisen which had stopped free selection of candidates and free political discussion within 'its ranks. There must be freedom of expression and a • right to elect candidates. A candidate was nominated by the' Government, and tho whole force of the machine would be used when the election camo on. 'This had been the case in. Wellington, and tho public hid had no say as to who was ,to stand for the side, and, for tho matter of thpt, for the' Conservative side. The Progressive had been formed to fisht these machines. • ■ .

Mr. .0. J. Chapman said ho thought the Political Labour League had sought and found the reason for the high cost of living and the high rents. Working men, he contended, were too apathetic in their conditions—too satisfied with three meals a day, a bed, with one suit of clothes in a year— perhaps in two years—and perhaps a little amusement and somo excitement.- They should not be. satisfied with a standard that prevented them from developing to the full all the best faculties. Quoting from the Labour Department's reports, ho said that the average rent for three-roomed houses in Wellington was lis. Bd., for four rooms 165., 4 five rooms £1 Os. 7(1., and for six rooni3 205." This was' five shillings more than in any ■other .city in' New: Zealand; In Auckland the rents were:—Three rooms 6s. (3d., four rooms 14s. He contended the Stato should own the land, and the State could, resumo it on fair terms. The land was given for all.

Mr. D. M'Larcn. said, lie would not attempt to give particulars of tlie cost of living, becausc it was a matter they were all conversant with. (A voice: "We don't live; we only \exist.") A worker who was receiving under £2 a week in Wellington had told the speaker he was paying 14s. a week as rent. He .quoted evidence at the Arbitration' Court to show that it cost £3. a week for some families to live in Wellington. He went on to' say that they had not . the Labour representation in Parliament they should have. ■ (A voice: "They aro no good when they get there I") "No," said tho speaker, "and they never will be until tho mass of the peoplo'keep them up to the mark all-the time. Ho roplied to a manifesto of the' Farmers' Union in which: it was stated, ho said, that the Socialist and tho Labour party declared against family lifo. Ho denied that statement. For people to be thoir own landlords there, must be-a large measure of State Socialism, and to enable the working mon to have their rights they must have ' better Parliamentary , representation. (Applause.) -

After musical items had been rendered, the chairman asked persons desirous of speaking to st-sp up on to the stage. A person stood up audience;'and, speak-; ing vehemently; said,'that sometime agd. 380 houses in ' "Wellington had been condemned. Yet they hod '&'Socialistic Mayor and Socialistic Councillors who had done nothing. What guarantee had' they if- theso. gentlemen got. into the House that they .would move moro quickly than they liad done in tho City Council,: and that greater advantage was going to accrue to the , worker through them? (Cries of "Platform" prevented further remarks of- the speaker being heard, and the chairman announced .that the Rev. J. J. North had arrived.) Mr. .North said ho spoke,', not as a politician, but as a Christian minister.' /It seemed that this city had reached' a crisis in- tho, matter of the cost of high, living. Wellington to-dity, was scandalous in this particular. The land nuestion very Mostly touched the matter. There wore people living ' in ' plenty at Home because they drew large rentals from sections in this city. What right had they -to large, increments un r earned by them, but bv the multitudes in this place? 1 They had no moral and no common sense right, but a right.based nn an accented legal foundation which should be swept away. (Anplause.) He. referred to the numbers who had to.take in boarders to make both ends meet ,by reason of the high rents. There should be a way to overcome th"se things,. because the • "earth ' wits, the Lord's, and not the landlord's." There was a tremendous amount of sentiment floating , about,-' but he suggested a round-table conference to frame something qract'cr-1. One plank should be that no land he held by'speculators, and that the only right to hold land should b<v occupancv. (Applause.l Everything should be'removed that cramped life. He "hoped ito see the day when every 'oliild born would live the freest life, and when there should perforce bn no race suicide and no restrictions on infant life. (Applause.) ' Musical items worn: — Sontrs — '.'The Last Muster,',' Mr:-. Williams; "Oh, Dry Those Tears," Mr. De La Rn.y (enoored'); "If thoso Lips could only Sneak," Master'H. Jones (encored): and orchestral selections under Mr. Ei J. King.