LABOUR PARTY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 178, 22 April 1924, Page 10

LABOUR PARTY

ANNUAL CONFERENCE PRESIDENTIAL REVIEW Br Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, April 21. The eighth annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party was opened in the Trades Hall this morning. Mr T. Brindle (president) presided over 107 delegates, representing 00 organisations and branches of tho Pa The president welcomed the delegates and said that they could again look back and rejoice at the wonderful progress they had made, both in the number of adherents gained to their cause and also the prestige attained in the political life of the country. Tho year ended had been a phenomenal one from the point of view of organisation. New branches of tho party had increased by leaps and bounds and the Labour sentiment was growing stronger and more resolute in every electorate throughout the Dominion. This changed feeling was due. to a largo extent, to the work done by the Parliamentary Labour members acting in loyal co-opera-tion with the national executive of the party. The moribund Liberalism of Mr. Wilford’s party had become a byword throughout the entire country, although occasionally they had seen a message from Mr. AA’ilford that .he was about to open a great campaign for “Liberalism ” to which he had added tho name of Labour, a trick that did not deceive anyone. The party led t>y Mr. Alassev was still blundering on and showing an ineptitude to deal with current problems of social and economic life that was at once astounding and tragic. So bankrupt in initiative had that party become, that under cover of appointing a Royal Commission on Taxation it had solemnly placed the future methods of taxing the people in tho unmerciful hands of the Employers’ Federation, plus large commercial interests. Tho past record of Air. Massey’s Government had been unashamedly and specifically in the interests of big landed and financial groups and he had now given that very people the opportunity of providing him with a policy which would further impoverish the wageearners, small business men, and working farmers, and make tho pathway of the already over-rich easier at the expense. of those people who were already struggling for the bare decencies of human existen?e

The annual report stated that immediately prior to the -closing of the last Parliamentary session the national secretary placed proposals before the members of tho party in Parliament through which every part of the Dominion would be brought into touch with its platform, and the result was shown in tho fact that branches were operating in all but two of the electorates in the North Island and in all but seven electorates in the South Island. Never in tho history of the movement had so much new ground been broken in one year. From ono end of the Dominion to the other the message had been delivered. The whole army of propagandists had all addressed meetings, and leaders of tho industrial movement had on many occasions placed themselves at the disposal of the national office for propaganda work. The national office establishment fund inaugurated in March, 1923, and established at the Christchurch conference had reached £lllO 16s. 6d. On December 20 the executive received an invitation to attend an open conference convened by the Alliance of Labour. The president and secretary attended, and the following proposals were carried: —(l) That the Alliance of Labour co-operate with the New Zealand Labour Party in tho establish-

ment and maintenance of 'a Labour bureau and research department; (2) that there be ono information bureau for the country, to be owned and controlled by the New Zealand Alliance of Labour and the New Zealand Labour Party; (3) that for the purpose of control of the information bureau and research department there be an equal number of representatives from the Labour Party and from the Alliance of Labour, namely, five from each side. Sixty nominations of Parliamentary candidates had so far been considered by the executive, and others were under consideration. “The outstanding features of the year,” added the report, “are the amount of organising work accomplished, the establishment of a national office and information- bureau, and the changed psychology throughout the Dominion, due' in part to the success of the party in Great Britain, but in the main to tho selfsacrificing efforts made by members of the party to spread the gospel.” The balance-sheet, which showed a substantial balance, was read and adopted. Air. H. Holland handed in the report of the Par’iamentary Labour Party. After some discussion the following motion was earned by acclamation; — “That this conference records its appreciation of the splendid fight made by members of the party in Parliament during the 1923 session for the workers of the Dominion, and each delegate pledges himself or herself to work in branch or union to ensure tho return at the next election of sufficient members to place the party in charge of tin Government of the Dominion.” Remits were dealt with. For the Canterbury Drivers’ Union Mr. McCaw moved: “That affiliation with the New Zealand Labour Party and the Laboir Representation Committee be confined to trade union mid bona fi-le branches of the New W'aland Labour Party and Socialist Partv.” The motion was lost. “That affiliation to the Labour Party be confined to industrial organisation and branches of the party,” was moved by Air. Savage, but the motion was lost.