INGERSOLL'S LABOR PROGRAMME.

Evening Star, Issue 12874, 25 July 1906, Page 7

INGERSOLL'S LABOR PROGRAMME.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The short Labor programme submitted by “ lan Ingersoll ” is the best I have seen. If it were adopted, all that is good in the programmes of the Labor parties would very soon be incorporated in our laws. The programme is one that appeals to all classes of workers for wages, male and female, and it is therefore one which might well unite them in one great party. The main aim of all Labor parties is to secure a better distribution of wealth, but their programmes and efforts thus far have not been well directed towards that end. “ lan Ingersoll,” who has recently come to the assistance of the parsons against the materialists in his book entitled ‘ Life After Death,’ has now shown the workers how they may best win justice and freedom. Without doubt, the taxation method he suggests is the simplest and best. The Right Hon. John Morley has admitted it. To tax land values, a’s Mr Ingersoll proposes, would give immediate and great relief to both Capital and Labor, because it is a tax which cannot be shifted from the shoulders of the owner to those of the occupier, as landowners themselves admit, and because it would kill land syndicates, force land into the market, reduce its selling value, and thus reduce rents of dwellings, while at the same time creatine a far greater demand for labor, and thus increasing wages. To tax unearned incomes from sources other than land is also an excellent proposal, because it is a tax which falls on the rich idjer only. And the third proposal, to raise and graduate the death dutie's, is as just as it would be beneficial to the whole community I would suggest that a conference representative of the Independent Political Labor League, the Workers’ Association, the oingle lax League, the trade unionists, and the Liberal and Labor Federation be called to discuss this proposed solution of the Labor problem, and enher adopt or reject it, giving reasons for either course. Lan Ingersoll s proposals are so just and reasonable, as well as so effective, that no true friend of Labor would reject them. 1 herefore his programme may be used to test the sincerity of professed friends of Labor both inside and outside Parliament Lct_ the workers see to it that this test is tnoroughly applied. It would open'their eyes and show them the hollowness and falseness of many of their professed friends. If a conference of the organisations mentioned rejected this simple, straight, and honest programme, then let the minority ■ would bo a large minority— proceed to form a National Labor party (embracing all workers, organised and unorganised male and female, mental as well as manual) to return to Parliament “men who do not own and do not want to own any portion of the people’s inheritance in the land.” This new party would soon become the greatest. There would be nothing between it and the party led by Mr Massey. A Liberal party represented and engineered by landlords ana employers of labor is sunply a delusion and a snare. Ao trade union would have such men to manage their trade affairs. To have them as leaders of the party of reform is no less idiotic than to have them as executive committees of trade unions. The worker cannot have more of the wealth he produces without landowners and land-owning employers having a less share. They wifi be careful not to take less it they can help it- After all the boasted Labor legislation of the past fifteen years, the bulk of the produce of labor in this colony still goes into the rich mens barns and warehouses, and, as leading trade unionists admit, the toilers are no better off. Therefore the peoples policy is to plump for Mr Ingersou s definite and practical programme and a National Labor party.—l am, etc., ... , John Brown. Wellington* July Rj.

’ Vo THU editor Sir, —I apologise to Mr Nicbolls if ho thinks that I wrote anything improper concerning him. Ho is unknown to me except by reputation. I said nothing about his personal character whatever. So far as I know, his moral life is perfectly correct. I only refereed in my letter to has ignorance of a certain fact. Women do not drink at hotel bars, and there is no use in Mr Nicholls barking up tho wrong tree. It ia time enough for Mr Nicholls to Write as he does when tho things of which he speaks are existent. I can assure Mr Nioholls that I am quite competent to write my own letters without Mr Thomson’s or any other’s assistance. Mr Nioholls appears to be very angry with Mr Thomson and the Licensed Victiiailers’ Association because they take no notice of him. I do not pretend to know their reasons, but if he continues to writ? similar letters as that which appeared' in your columns last night it may be that they do not consider it worth their while to take any notice of hum I can assure him that I mingle with more working men, athletes business and professional men than he does' and every one of them approve of the stand’ which the Licensed Victuallers’ Association nave taken.—l nm, etc., _ , Anti-No-Licexse. July 24. .