LABOUR SOCIAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 651, 30 October 1909, Page 6

LABOUR SOCIAL.

. ■' /V,'SPEECH BY THE PEEMIEE.:' \ -.-• '~-■'.'■'.i'INDEPENDENT:LABOtJE.' ; - -V ; A 6moke,concert at. the Druids' Hall .last night enabled the: visiting, delegates to-,the Trades, and . Labour Conference to fraternise ■with-<: local unionists and friends' of the Labour movement. The, visitors were, guests of the Wellington'; Trades and ■ Labour i Council, whose president (Mr.-W. C. Noot) was'in .the chair. The. Prime Minister (Sir Joseph', Ward), and the Hon.'D. Buddo were present duting'a part. of. the. evenings Some ot the other! Ministers sent' apologies for,absence. ■'.'■'■ ,i ; The toast of ■'The. Visiting, Delegates""was. proposed by Mr. E. J. Carey,' and responded to by Mr. Breen; who declared ; that the .definite': object- of the conference : was public' ownership'of the means'of production.' When they attached themselves,- some years ago; to tho Liberal party, they got into a blind alley, but they had now decided to form an Independent Labour party. The Liberal - party would give the workers a> big bone, and' the Opposition would-give them a-small-bone, but while hoadmitted that there was some nourishment in: bones,: he would say they wanted their share of the meat.

, Messrs. .E. Howard . (Canterbury), T. 'Long ' (Auckland), ' O'Byrne ... (Southland), J. :Jao.kson, (Westland), .and E. Hall: (East Coast);' also-spoke: -'■ "■". . :Mi: A. W. Hogg, M.P;, was 'received 'with cheers. "The workers are going iiV iui.u iiii.v proper place on, the .State coach,", he remarked in, the course of his address; "and that place is on. the box seat." , • :■'-,'.'.•.

•■•' "The Labour, Department' was' proposed'by Mr. F. Eeyling".' Mr. Tregea'r -resnonded.-' ~

Mr.';W; T. Young proposed "The Independent Labour Party.". ~

* Sir Joseph Ward... and the Hon. D. Buddo entoxed atithis.stage. . ■;'.- ~ • v.. '.'.•... . ;Tho.toast was .responded to 1 by Mr. M. J. Eeardon.V: ' .■ • - ■';•■•

was proposed- ■by . MrJ. W. Naughton. . -:' .' - '. ',''■ .. , '_■: Sir : Joseph: Ward, in replying, said •he'-.was prepared, to-consider ..any representations that were made to him, bntvof course,.he !could not agree'.to everything- that ."was. 'proposed., ,Ho took 1 no.exception- to their-advocating 1 an Independent Labour party. They had a perfect right to do so, but he would-like to say thai; an- immense 'amount of good. had been done under the'. system that had obtained'. until now. He would not presume to argue at that hospitable'.board ■'whether the 'course, they, were taking was a wise one. Some of the'more exuberant spirits-in the extreme - section of the Labour party had apparently supposed' that he had: not-been friendly to them.' 'No groater mistake could be made. He had givena good deal -of assistance to' Labour, though hehad .never paraded it to the extent he might have done.' They had in the ranks' of, the Liberal : party some who wanted to go; further than'those who recognised that great reforms could not, bo carried out with undue haste, but he had found- that nothing had so 'steadying an effect, as responsibility. The Bill that had passed its' second reading .'that day; would be. of .benefit-to the workers, by putting the local.bodies in a better position to carry out (works which would give a.good deal -of employment. -The improvement in the .prices of some of pur staple, products would benefit the workers, as well:as other.'classes, so that the conference was concluding, under bright auspices.'. ';-, '„. .' '■•' ■-,■■'. '"

• 'The Hon. D. Buddo, also" responded :to> the ,toast. j.' '.>;■, .'..:'•■:■'■• .."■ .. Tiie- musical programme was an enjoyable ■one.!!' ■'■■• ._■ ■'"'.' - : ■'.....'■: '■:..''.■