LABOUR PARTY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 282, 14 November 1923, Page 3

LABOUR PARTY.

AIMS AND POLICY. ADDRESS BY MR R. MrKEEN. M.P, Under the auspices of the New Zealand Labour Party Mr. R. McKeen, -'LI • toi- Wellington South, delivered an interesting address to a fair attendance of the public in the Assembly Hastings, last evening. Air. F. . Cook. Deputy Alayor, occupied the chair. I Air. A.lcKcen said that the New Zealand Labour Party was a comparatively new party in tho political field, and consequently the most misrepresented. It was the only party with a definite objective,* and that objective was a social one, the recognition of the service reiiuered to society as the true estimate of a man’s value to the State. The Labour Party did not want the support of any man or woman who did not fully understand tho aims and principles of the party. The Labour Party claimed that the other parties had governed the country entirely on a class basis, while Labour’s opponents claimed that the Labour Party was a class party, and because of this would be unable to do the greatest good to the greatest number. All political parties had an economic basis. The Reform and liberal Parties were based on private ownership. The Labour Party was no class party, but aimed at the administration of the country in such a way as to guarantee security and comfort for every man. woman, and child.

On the subject of electoral reform Mr. AlcKeen said that just prior ll to its succession the Reform Party contended that the electoral methods then in use were undemocratic, but the Liberal Party clung to the second ballot. The Reform Party was returned to power, and Air. Alassey’s electoral reform wag to abolish the second ballot in favour of the first-past-the-post method. The Labour Party said there was on© method fairer than either the second ballot or first past tho post, and that was proportional representation. The Government’s contemplated electoral reform bill introduced preferential voting, and under this system the voting would be even more unjust than with the second ballot. If this new bill came before the House the Labour Party was determined to fight it to the last. Labour stood for the initiative and referendum, and also the power of recall, because the only safeguard for democracy was for the people to have ful control of the legislative machinery. The speaker w&nt on to deal with , other planks of the Labour platform and matters bearing thereon. He spoke of the low basic wage in comparison with the excessive profits made by some companies, quoting figures in support of his contention. In regard to the miners on the West Coast, he stated emphatically that they were not on strike. They were locked out because,, for their safety, they worked in strict j conformity with the regulations. The owners closed the mines because they said the miners were going slow This was not true. It was true a ballot had been take on the question of go-slow, but it was never acted on..

The Labour Party’s plank on the land question was then fully explained, the speaker stating finally that no land policy could be successful -without a State bank, citing the Commonwealth bank of Australia as an example. When the Dairy Control Bill was before the House, and the producers’ representatives were laying their views before the various parties, one point was most noticeable that was that they did not want their produce controlled, but they did want control of the shipping. This just confirmed the Labour view that the shipping of the country should be nationalised. In conclusion, the speaker appealed to the audience to support the Hastings branch of the N.Z. Labour Party, as it was a very keen and healthy little branch.

Questions were invited, But as none were forthcoming the meeting concluded with' a unanimous vote of thanks to Air. AlcKeen.