LABOUR REMITS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 159, 2 April 1937, Page 12

LABOUR REMITS

Wide Range of Subjects Covered CONGRESS DECISIONS Social and Political Questions Many remits covering a wide range of social and political questions were considered at the Neew Zealand Labour Party’s annual conference in Wellington yesterday. Industrial organisations were requested to appoint a committee with the object of submitting recommendations to the Government on problems relatibg to apprentices and the dilution ot labour (unskilled workers working as assistants to skilled men). Child labour was another question to which some time was devoted. The conference recommended that problems of child labour be the special Interest of the Minister in charge of child welfare in order that juveniles engaged in industry should.be adequately safeguard-

ed. Difficulties that, are reported to have developed between the employers and workers in the gas industry over hours and conditions of work were mentioned at the conference. The Minister of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, was invited to convene a meeting of the parties involved. Maori Advisory Council.

At the last annual conference the following were appointed to act as the Maori organising committee: —Mr. E. T. Tirikatane, M.P., the Hon. Bang! Mawhete, M.L.C., and Mr. H. T. Rataua, M.P., with power to co-opt Messrs. P. K. Paikea (Northern), Rangi Mitchell (Eastern), K. Tarawhiti (Western), and Te Ari Pitama (Southern), with the national president and secretary as ex officio members. The committee reported yesterday that during the year more than ICO committees were appointed and upward of 9000 Natives joined the Labour Party. Last February the committee’s name was changed to the “Maori Advisory Council.” The conference increased the membership of the council to six, the following now comprising its membership: Messrs. E. T. Tirikatene, M.P., R. Mawhete, M.L.C., H. T. Ratana, M.P., E. Cullen, M.P., A. Campbell. M.P., D. W. Coleman, M.P. The Acting-Minister of Native Affairs, Hon. F. Langstone, took part in the discussion on the Native organisation report. Mr. Mawhete and other Native delegates also participated. A remit that May 1 (May Day in Europe) be declared a statutory holiday was rejected. The feeling of the conference was that Labour Day sufficed as Labour’s day for celebration. Campaign Fund. It was resolved to establish a national campaign fund to finance Labour candidates at the next general election. All branches were recommended to make it their immediate task to raise a sum equal to £1 for each member.

A remit, “That the conference recommends to the Government the repeal of those sections of the Arms Act, 1920, which provide for registration and restrict the right of citizens to own firearms,” was withdrawn.