LABOUR'S CAMPAIGN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 876, 23 July 1910, Page 5

LABOUR'S CAMPAIGN.

» / . STEPS FINALLY SPECIFIED. THJi! TJSST FOJJ CANDIDATES. (By Telegraph.—l'ress Association.) ' Auckland, July 22. The machinery necessary to put into working operation the objective and platform of tho New Zealand Labour Party, which is being launched by tbe annual Dominion Conference of Trades and Labour Councils, was finally specified to-day, and, in the opinion of delegates, there is little now in tho way to prevent tho movement from assuming practical form. The Platform Committee brought down further recommendations, and lively discussion took place in rogard to the following recommendations :— "That, in the event of any sitting . member of Parliament joining any branch of the New Zealand Labour Party in his electorate, prior to the next general election, and sign, ing allegiance to the objective of •the platform, and pledging himself in writing to carry out the principles embodied in the platform, ajid, on all questions affecting the platform, to vote as a majority of the Parliamentary party may decide at ti duly constituted party caucus meeting, ho shall be the duly ~~ selected and endorsed candidate of the Labour party, and it shall not be compulsory for him to go to the preliminary ballot." Mr. J. Savage (Auckland): Are sitting members, going to -remain sitting members for ever? Mr. E. J; Howard (Canterbury): Yes. Voices: No; only for next election. ; Mr. J. Walsh (Auckland) contended ■ that tho party's. objects would not be adequately served in this matter. It 1 been said, for instance, that Mr. Glover, member for Auckland Central, would be willing to sign their pledge; but would Mr. Glover be any good to them as a Labour member? The Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.C. (Otago), said that it was merely a question ofmeeting tho present political situation. Mr. K.'.J. Carey expressed the belief that there were four or five sitting . members of the House of R«presenta-l-ivns who would sign the pledge, probably within a week or two. This could ' form the nucleus of the party within tho House. Mr. Savage: We have some in the House who, for the sake of securing £300 a year for another three years, would sign anything. He moved as aa amendment: —"That the clause exempting sitting members from going to a preliminary selection ballot be elim■inated." Mr. Paul: It seems to me that cheap sneers about politicians are quite out of place. Politicians are not arigela. ■ Mr. K. J. Howard (Canterbury) 6aid that the object of the motion was to hold out a bait to sitting members, and ho opposed it. v The amendment was lost by 13 votes to 4. ..A further amendment was moved by Mr. Broen to add the following to the x motion: —"This clause shall only apply. to members of Parliament contesting their first election under this constitution." : The amendment was agreed to, and ■ the motion, as amended, was carried. -