LABOUR PARTY

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 10, 11 July 1918, Page 8

LABOUR PARTY

CONCLUSION OP CONFERENCE

The annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party concluded yesterday, when the following remits were carried:—

Auckland Bakers' Union.—That the Minister of Labour be asked to amend the Factory Act to prohibit all work in bakehouses, except dough-making and sponging, between tlie hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Amalgamated Society of Engineers (Auckland Branch).—That chief industrial registrar shall, upon application of a union, register a set of rules which, contain provisions for the payment of a benefit to members in distress.

Auckland Women's Political League. That an effort be made to have the Pension^ Act made reciprocal throughout the Empire, so that British subjects may receive old age pensions in any British dominion or colony to which they have migrated, irrespective of the time they have lived there; provided they have resided the required number of years in some part of the Empire. Education: That conference protest against the overcrowding and understaffing of the State schools, and strongly urge upon the Government that education grants be increased with a view, to remedying this evil.

Brooklyn Branch.—Whereas recent disclosures have demonstrated the inadev quacy of the present Government provision even for primary and technical edu-cation,-as view the understating andovercrowding in all our ill-equipped schools; and whereas, if New Zealanders are to become efficient iand take their proper .place in the scale of civilisation) larger grants will have to .be made. for. and better administration exercised in education, this conference strongly urges upon the Government the necessity of putting immediately into operation a comprehensive programme of educational development.

A.S.C. and J. (Eden Branch).—That the delegates at conference assembled giv© due consideration to the anomalous position that has arisen—viz., the extension of the life of Parliament, which is undemocratic and in violation of the Constitution. Conference to emphatically protest against this order of things and to demand an immediate general election.

Women's International League (Auckland Branch).—That conference calls upon the Government to introduce a measure to' provide that a woman shall not, on marriage with an. alien, be deprived of her nationality against her will, but that she be given the same choice of nationality as a man; also that she may apply for naturalisation independently of her husband.

Women's International League, Auckland.—That conference discuss the question -of capital punishment, the desirability of its abolition.

Wellington S.D.P.—Re peace resolution : "That Conference reaffirms its pronouncement on the peace proposals of the last Labour Party Conference." Re peace delegation to Europe : <JThat J Conference take steps, in conjunction witlrother Labour organisations, for the election of a peace' delegate to Europe, to represent the Labour movement of New Zealand."

Wellington L.R-.C.—"That Conference consider the" advisability of semiring representation on and at the forthcoming Peace Conference.".

Wellington S.D.P.—Re Samoa : "That a pronouncement on Samoa be issued by Conference on the lines that' under no circumstances shall Samoa hold up the arrangements for the conclusion of peace. Re Labour Party and the Maoriland Worker: "That the Maoriland Worker be endorsed as the official organ of the New Zealand Labour Party, and that Conference direct the incoming executive to take steps to secure representation on the Paper Board." Women's International League (Wellington Branch). —Political Disabilities of Women—That conference urge upon the Labour membors in the House that they bring before Parliament a Bill embodying a proposal for the removal of the political disabilities of women.

Auckland Tailors' Union.—Amendment of Factories Act re overtime and payment of. tea money.—That the Act bo amended to provide that all employees required to work overtime shall be paid tea money, whether previous notice of the intention to work overtime has been given to" the worker by the meployer or not. That not less than Is 6d be allowed each worker as tea money. That said tea money shall be paid upon the day that overtime is to be worked, and at least one hour before the meal time.

The following remits were referred to the Clothing Trade Federation .-—"That conference requests the Government to institute an investigation into the conditions of the tailoring trade award in relation to—(1) The reduction of wages in the Northern Industrial District; (2) the dilution of labour by the employment of four female workers to each male worker." "That conference impress upon the Government the serious need for investigation into the method employed by the manufacturers Tn fixing the price of articles by which workers in factories have their earnings calculated ; also the system of apprenticeship in factories, which imposes years of apprenticeship to acquire a knowledge which is attainable in a few months, thereby giving the employer a qualified worker at apprentice wages, which wagetends to fix the prices by which tho earnings of adult workers are calculated, thus necessitating an enormous speedingup by tho more highly-paid adult, worker." I Conference concluded at 6 p.m.. hearty votes of. thanks being given to the onti going executive and chairman of conLference.,