THE LABOUR PARTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9157, 25 March 1893, Page 5

THE LABOUR PARTY.

A PLATFORM DECLARED. [:by telegraph— press association. J Dunedin, Friday. The platform of the Labour party is being circulated for suggestions or approval. It contains 16 planks, as follows :— vote to every adult after a month's residence in the colony ; every adult householder to have the right to voto in municipal elections ; the local Boards to bo elected annually on the Parliamentary franchise; all Parliamentary elections on the same day, which is to bo observed as a holiday, and all hotels to be closed ; all education to be free and secular from the primary schools to the university; elementary education to be compulsory up to 14, or tho age at which the pupil passes the fifth standard ; high schools to be open to all who have passed the sixth standard, or gained a junior scholarship ; education endowments to be ; under the control of the Minister, and one universal set of standards and one set of small books for the colony; the State to find employment for all who cannot find it for themselves, such work to be on the cooperative principle ; statutory eight hours a day, or 48 hours pur week ; statutory prohibition of foreign labour under contract; repeal of the conspiracy laws relating to industrial disputes; compulsory arbitration; State ownership of land, railways, mines, and coastal marine, creation of an ago pension fund by means of a progressive income tax, State bank of issue, elective governor, abolition of the Upper Douse and substitution of a revisionary chamber of 15 members elected by and from the House, tho whole number to meet together in the event of a deadlock ; the drink traffic to be absolutely controlled by the people ; a poll to be taken periodically it! all licensing districts to decide whether the existing licenses, if any, shall be renewed, and if the voto is against a renewal, all the hotels, clubs, grocers', bottle, and wholesale licensee shall cease to exist in such district; all on tho Parliamentary roll to bo entitled in vote. Wellington, Friday. A conference Is to bo held at an early date between the representatives of all tho Liberal and labour bodies in the city, in order to secure unanimity of action in the , interest) of the Liberal cause at the forth- , coming general election. j;