THE LABOUR PROGRAMME

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 96, 25 April 1907, Page 6

THE LABOUR PROGRAMME

Mr Keir Hardie, M.P., has contributed an article "The Outlook of the Session," to the current number of the Labour Leader. In the course ot it he says that if the Labour Party in the House of Commons is to be successful it must be free to select its own course. ' 'Much of the success,, or want of it, of any party such as ours," he proceeds, " depends upon the sprites who preside over the fortunes of the ballot. If these be kind this session and give us a number of good places, we shall take the Miners' Eight Hours' Bill under our protection, in exactly the same way as we did the Trades Disputes Bill last session. If the Government measure is satisfactory there will be no need for us to press ours, if it is not we shall have ours ready to put in its place. The Provision of Meals Bill'for Scotch children will also claim our attention. So, too, if the ballot be specially kind, will the AntiSweating Bill,' and the Checkweighing of Meals Bill. In addition, there will be a miscellaneous crop of resolutions oh various topics—again provided the ballot be kind. But the big fights of the session will not be over Bills of pur own, but over measures which we desire to press the Government into,; granting. The two principal of these are an adequate measure of old age pensions, and an equally adequate method of dealing with unemployment. Both of these will be dealt with in the form of amendments to the Address, the former being in the capable hands of Mr Barnes, and the latter in the zealous care of Mr Thorrie. If opportunity occurs, I,shall raise the women suffrage question in the same connection, and Mr Mac Donald that of the coming Colonial Conference. It will be strange indeed it we cannot do something effective for both the aged poor and the unemployed. If we don't succeed, it won't be for lack of trying. And this session, also, I hope to see the party grappling at close quarters with the root cause of all our troubles—private ownership of land. Everything else is mere skirmishing leading up to this, which must be for every democratic party, whether Socialist or' Labour, the main citadel to be attacked. When it falls much else that is powerful for evil will fall also. Those who put their trust in the party will have no occasion to feel ashamed."