PROBLEMS 0E TO-DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 86, 11 April 1912, Page 3

PROBLEMS 0E TO-DAY.

OUTLOOK FOR LABOUR. A SOCIAL GATHERING. SPEECHES BY MINISTERS AND SIR JOSEPH WARD. Under the auspices of the New Zealand Labour Party Coni'ereneo and tho Trades Councils' Conference, now fitting hi Wellington, a smoko concert was held at s the Tiffin Rooink. Mannersstreet, last night. Mr. W. C. Hampton presided over the gathering, which was attended by a. largo number of delegates to and members o£ Loth conferences, among those present being Sir Joseph Ward, the Hons. W. D. S. MacDonald. G. Laurenson, J. A. Hunan, H. G. Ell, J. T.Paul, and Mr. E. Tro-gc-ar (ex-Secretaiy of the Labour Department). Tho Prime Minister (Hon. T. Mackenzie) tent regrets at being unab!« to be present. The first toast was that of "Maorilaud," piopooed by the chairman. DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH. Tho Hon. ('. Laurenson proposed tho toast of "The- Trades and Labour Council," and expressed regret that bo few people belonged to tho unions. If they once got all the workers .into the unions they would get a force which couid control tho situation. They had soNed the problem of how to produce wealth, but they had never yet solved the problem of how to distribute it, and they had to address themselves to that, not by involution, but by evolution and patient and painstaking research. It was tho most intricate and difficult problem that the human race had ever been called upon -to solve. He believed the day was coming when they would not allow a man to go into Parliament until he- had passed- an examination in social economics, and he believed also that lahour unions would prove to be excellent teaching institutions for that science. (Applause.) UNITY AMONGST THE UNITS. The Hon. J.- T. Paul, in replying, id minded his audience that , it was seventeen years since & Minister of Labour had attended a Trades and Labour Conference. In the early 'nineties there was a close communication between the Government and the trades unions, and better legislation resulted. ' He was not going io say much about the. Trades and Labour Councils 1 ' Conference. It was the Unity Conference that was going to count. His opinion was that the Unity Conference was the beginning of unity amongst tho units of Labour in this country. Unity in future would 'play a larger part in the politics of New Zealand than it had in the past. The result of the conference would be the creation of a machine which would give expression to the aims and aspirations of tho great' Labour movement in this country. He believed this woek would be memorable in the- history of tho progress of the Dominion. He was not unmindful of tho great work that had been dona in the past. The men who had preceded them had done wonders during the laat twenty years, but there were greater things to do in the future. Today monopoly was oppressing the workers on every Eide — industrial monopoly and land monopoly. -The- problems of today were different to those of twenty years ago. Labour as a party must take the responsibility that belonged to it ; it must come into line with the progretsive movements throughout the world, and h» believed the machine that was being devised by the Unity Conference would be the means of giving expression to the aims and aspirations of the movement,' a machine that would meet the situation and aJlow progressive forces to be brought together, so that in future a, better representation would bo present in Parliament. (Applause.) NOT AN ATTACK ON PROPERTY. Mr. Claphani proposed the -toast, of "The Nev/ Zealand , Labour Party,"' and in doing so ho referred to the earnestness of those engaged in the conference — men who knew they were lighting for principles — and so long as they remembered those principles they must succeed. (Hear, hear.) The Ballance Ministry started out vrith the principles they were now urging, and if the Labour f>arty stuck to those principles it would ivo for ever. (Applau&e.) Mr. D. McLaren, in responding to the toast, said he desired to do honour to whom honoufwas due in connection with the Labour movement during the last few years. The Trades and Labour Council had done excellent work during the last few years, and its work had been an introduction to the work that was being done now. H© appreciated the grantf work that wa* being done by the Unity Conference, and the- earnestness of purpose that it evinced. Thero were, people who thought that the Labour movement was an attack on property. . That was ■a. misrepresentation. The movement aimed at tho preservation and restoration of the property to the people who had created it. No one need fear the coming of a. Labour party. If they wanted to go in the right direction it would help them, and if they did not want to go in that direction it would have to use the boot. (Applause.) Mr. Sullivan said that before the next election the toast would find an echo in the- hearts of 100,000 people expressed iji practical terms at the ballot boxes, and result in placing in Parliament a group of me-n actuated by tho- ideal of ireeing the people from the domination of wealth, and possessed of a. definite ••md practical platform, devised to carry out that ideal. He paid a high tribute to Profefifcar Mills for the work he had done in bringing about the success of the Unity Conference, and declared 'that the Labour movement was the- only thing that stood between tho workers and absolute slavery. (Applauee.) "PARLIAMENT." The toa6t of "Parliament" was proposed by Mr. M'Cullough. Sir Joteph Ward was the first to reply, iio said that for nearly twenty-live yeaa'6 ho had had a good deal of official trouble with Labour. (Laughter.) There had been a steady evolution in connection with the workers, and it was important to realise that workers are now congratulating themselves on having started a. gieat Unity moyemont, with the object of improving the condition of the workers. Young as New Zealand is, the industrial conditions here were better than in the United States, and he wanted to say that we are far ahead of most other countries in that respect. (Applause.) It was a good thing to see Labour seeking control. He had been a worker all hie life, and until he had his freedom conferred on him a few •weeks ago he had been working fourteen and sixteen hours a day. He urged the -workers to put on the Statute Book an Eight Houis Hill, and make it apply to Parliament and Ministers, up as to give tho eutticiency of rest which was asked for by the workers. (Applause.) Ho hoped the new Government would have a, fair -opportunity of doing what was best for the masses and tho people. He did not believe in clae» legislation ; he had always been on the side of tho weak and against the btrong. (Applause.) They might not have to wait the usual time for a General Election, but if those who weie to control the destinies of the nitiuu were. actuated by high ideals, iintl the estiie-

nient of the land by amaH people, and the policy of the lat-t Governor V> Speech \vas> earned uut only in part, it would do much to improvo the conditions of the people. If tho Administration fccured areas of land near the centres for the masses they would do more than any of them would imagine. llie Opposition, ha declared, preached chaos, and were desirous of linking themselves! with ths workers, but out of chaos good would reeult, and he did not believe the country would ever gc> back on Liberal and Labour principles. (Applause.^ Mr. R. M'Kenzie said he iccofrnit>ed that the Labour Party was. jjoinf; on the right lines, but they needed to get into tho party tha email business man, professional men, and the small farmers, a-iid if they did that they would get control of the Government of the country. Sir Joseph Ward had tpent the better half of his life in promoting tho welfare and prosperity of the people in order to leave tho" country better than he found it, and he (Mr. M'Kenzie) had done tho sanie. He could foresee a. General Election before next September, and he urged the Labour Party to organise a. preparation for that event. The 'Hon. W. 'D. S. Mac-Donald said he claimed to have a- general knowledge of the working classes of New Zealand ; he had himself been a- worker all his lii'e, and he assured his hearers that great progress had been mad© by the Labour Party, and it was due to the efforts of the Liberal and Labour Party that the conditions existing had been brought v to such, a stage of development. Whatever party ruled would have to the- necessity of considering the welfare of the masses. His chief ambition was the pettlement of tho land. He was Native Minister, a-nd he realised tho great difficulties that had had to be confronted by those who had had to deal with those lands, owing to tfto operation of the communal system. The Maori owners, however, realised that they could not hold land idle and unproductive, and as fa-r as he was concerned a vigorous programme of Native land settlement ' would be carried out. (Applause.) The Hon. J. A. Hanan said that they in New Zealand had been in the van of social progress, but much remained to be done. They had to make New Zealaaid the economic laboratory of the world. They were determined they would not ha.ye a repetition of the political, industrial, and social evils of the Old World, which were a disgrace to Christianity and civilisation. They could not go on old lines. They wanted to see more sunshine in the lives of the people, and to do that they must have education • and equality of opportunity to everybody. Much had been done by the Liberal Party for education, but they must go further aiid bring about free education from the primary schook to the university. (Applause.) Ho hoped to put forward a proposal to enable bright boye aud girls to gain ready access to the high schools, and they wanted also to maJso the universities more accessible and roovo under tho control of the people. He hoped also to bring about medical and dental inspec* tion of the schools, and to introduce the study of social economy to a greater extent than at present in tho high schools. (Applause.) Mr. A. H. Hindmareh, M.P. : I refused tq attend a Liberal caucus the oth,er day, so I hope you will ,allow me to withdraw from the meeting. (Mr. Hindmai'fih, who had been present throughout the proceedings, then withdrew.) The Hon. H. G. Ell also replied, and in doing ko pajid a. tribute .'to Sir Joseph Ward, who, he said, had always been on the side of the masses and nob of the ctaeses. Mr. J.\ Robertson, M.P. for Otaki, expressed the opinion that there is a, great deal more sincerity and genuine desire for the welfare of the country amongst the men in political life than they wcr« gonerally given credit for. (" Hear, hear.") The toast of " Visiting Delegates " was proposed by Mr. W. Naugnton, who said ho- had always - believed that the salvation of the Labour Party lay in its connection with tho Liberal Party. (Cries of "Rot!") Several visiting delegates responded. The proceedings, which lasted to a late hour, were of a veiy pleasant nature, and were interspersed with vocal and instrumental itenis.