NEW CONSTITUTION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 86, 11 April 1912, Page 7

NEW CONSTITUTION.

UNITED LABOUR. PROPOSALS UNDER CONSIDERATION ORGANISATION OF ALL THE WORKERS.

The main business at the conference! of the New Zealand Labour party to-dayi was tho consideration of tho constitution and platform of the United Labour Party of New Zealand. Tho constitution of the new Labour party was agreed to with certain alterations and additions. These will be considered atf tho meeting of representatives of the different Labour organisations this afternoon. The chairman (Mr. W. B\ Hampton) l said the business before the council wan the consideration of tho complete proposals which had been brought down in* connection with tho Unity Conference. He would move a motion for the adoption of each section of tho new constitution of the party, and it would bo opcm to any delegate to move an amendment.. It would bo understood that these clauses were the decisions of the Labour party, and that that patty had had a. good voice in the adoption of tho constitution, eiy far aa. it had gone. It was agreed tliat the name of tho organisation be the United Labour Partyi of New Zealand. OBJECTS. It was resolved that the objects of the organisation shall be :— 1. To promote tho organisation of all the workers of Now Zealand in all 1 forma of necessary service j 2. To protect their interests in th© mat*. ter of regular, rational, .and remunerative employment; 3. To promote their good citizenship and to increase tlioir efficiency; | 4. To consolidate their political power in their own behalf, and to uso their whole power (both political 1 and economic) in negotiations withi employers, before the Courts, in, municipal, county, and Dominion, Governments, in international relations, and (if need be) in indu&triali revolt^ S. To use the fruits of every partial victory to strengthen and continue this work until the power to oppress and exploit any of the workers, cither by pvivato monopolies controlling th© Government, or through! the private monopoly ownership and/ control of industry, ehall utterly, disappear, and there shall be eecured for all the people power to< purchase with their income the total products of their labour—until, in hhort, the means of production, distribution, nnd exchange (in co far as they constitute in private hands instruments of oppression and exploitation) shnll be wcially owned and operated without profit and for tho common good of all. Membership.— This organisation' shall consist of :— (a) Single local unions , of workers; (b) National federations of dis- \ r [ ct ' trades, services, nnd occupations.: (c) National groups of federations of distinct trades, services, and occupations; (d) District trades or labour councils,' (c) Associated societies and individual members. Clausen of the now constitution were adopted relative to officers and their duties, finance, trades and labour councils. TRADES OR LABOUR. COUNCILS. In each city, county, or province there shall 'be established a council. Where such councils now exist they shall have power to work in accordance with their present or amended rules, provided such rules enable tho representation of all bodies covered by this constitution, and for the extended functions and duties of such councils as herein specified. Where new council* are established, the rules adopted must include provision for the admission of all bodies covered by this constitution and for the full exercise of m, * lle duties assigned to such councils. The purposes for which the councils exist shall be: To promote the complete organisation of all the workers in all occupations within their respective territories. The above clauses, together with* several other provisions for carrying out tho objects of the party, were adopted. PLATFORM. ' In addition to th© already adopted' platform of the Labour Party, the following was agreed to:— Further, wo hereby agree not to join in the nomination of any candidate for [the position in question] until a number oi signatures to this agreement equal to one-fourth of tho number of votes polled at the last election [for the same position] shall first have been secured, or until this requi&itionagreement shall Uave lapsed for lack of support; and in the former case we promise to participate in a plebiscite, by preferential single transferable vote, to be conducted by post by tho Labour Party, for the choice of candidate; and we further promise to support the candidate co chosen: it being understood that, while the requisition is in operation the Labour Party shall not give official support to a candidate nominated in any other ivay. All candidates must be members of the Labour Party and signers of this agreement, and they must be endorsed on petition by at least onetenth of the signers ot this agreement within the district, and all candidate, must be so endowed and announced, as well as the roll of those entitled to vote completed at least ton days before tho lairing of the plebiscite. CAUCUS RULE. It was agreed that :— "ln all Parliamentary bodies the leadership of the Labour Party shtll not bo vested in aiw sinclo individual, but tho leader of the party ehall bo simply the chief executive officer of the organisation, and all policies and programmes affecting the platform of this organisation shall be discussed in and decided by a majority vote of the representatives of this organisation. Mr. Clapham gave notice to move— "That, in view of the probable adoption of the name United Labour Party by the Unity Conference, this Labour Party of New Zealand change its name to tho Labour League." IMMEDIATE FIGHTING PLATFORM. Tho following was agreed to by the Labour Party Conference as the immediate fighting platform of the United Labour Party :— Tho establishment of State ferry services and Stale colliers; also that tho Dominion Government co-opet v atc with the Federal 1 Government of Aue* tralia in the establishment of an interState Shipping Service. The abolition of the country quota iti determining Parliamentary representation. Tho Parliamentary franchise to apply to tile election of all local bodies and to all loral polls. Legislation reversing the Osborne judgment, as related to New Zealand. Tho restoration of full political right* to all public einplojres. The initiative, referendum, and ieca.il on proper petition and by bare )&+<• jorit}\ " " - ' '

Endowment of motherhood, penbiona for widows, orphans, the blind, and incurably helpless, and State medical ..aid and hospital care in all ca6es of - illness. ' flhe Elective Executive. j Proportional representation, on single transferable- vote. ' £Ehe establishment of a State bank, and of the sole right to issue paper - money. t ! [A. land, system shall be established • which shall bring into the most productive" use, either by individual undertakings or by public enterprise, all | • national resources ; 6hall make ab- • sentee ownership and private uibuo",poly in land impossible,* shall secure to the land-holder all ' the "values ■ created by him . and , those only ; all such values to be exempt from all taxation ; and shall secure to the public in an annual tax all values creatJed by the public. iKo further sale of Crown lands. {Increased taxation of land values, the .'revenue so raised to be used to re"duce the cost of living by the reducCtioni of Custom taxes on the neces;aaries of life not produced m New •Zealand, and by the reduction of , wulway freights and fares. {That a free and secular State education system be maintained, with compulsory attendance up" to the age of , fifteen years; and that the necessary ' books and stationery be supplied free } "by the Department. That beyond • the age all boys and girls not receiving full-time instruction at secondary or other schools shall attend > - continuation classes for not lees than ' fifteen hours per week until they reacn 'the age of seventeen. That no em- ' ployer shall employ boys or girls unZ der seventeen years of age for more .than thirty hours per week. That provision be made so that up to the age of twenty-one years systematic physical exercise shall be substituted for military drill. The right of the people to decide all - questions submitted on a oare major- . ity vote. [Establishment by law of a national • mini mil m wage. 'A Eight of Work Act. [Establishment of competitive State fac- •' tories, * works, and services. JThc settlement of industrial disputes on • the lines of- legally established agreements and awards by methods or con- " ciiiation and arbitration. \ • The following additional clause was recommended to the United Labour Party for adoption in the platform :—: — **A graduated income tax, based on scientific principles, with a, super-tax on unearned incomes." The following sentence in, the paragraph re education was referred to the committee set up to_ deal with the compulsory clauses of the Defence Act : — *' That provision be made so that up to the agß of tw£nly-ane years 'systematic physical exercise shall be substituted for military, dru]." The conference adjourned till after 'jthe conclusion of the Unity Conference. k [ OTHER ORGANISATIONS APPROVE. The Trades and Labour Councils. 1 Conference to-day adopted the constituxion of the Unity Conference, and it -was resolved that tnis should be substituted for the present constitution of the Trades and Labour Councils' Federation. «"-The Timber Workers' Conference pasaed the following motion : — "Tha£ this conference affirms the principle of the United Labour Party, known as Professor' Mills's unity scheme, and would urge the various unions to adopt