LABOUR CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13796, 8 July 1908, Page 7

LABOUR CONFERENCE.

■ . > '.I . -——TFEDERAL PARTES OBJECTIVE ; ' ■ , ■ ■. •• -; ... COLLECTIVE OWNERSHIP. •■ By Telegraph.—Press Association.— Brisbane. July 7. ; The Commonwealth Labour Conference, after discussing the rejection of a number of proposals tending to bring the policy more into line : with Continental socialism, re-affirmed its objective, which*, provides" for. the cultivation :of an Australian sen-< timent based upon the maintenance of national purity and the- development in Australia of an enlightened '■' self-reliant* community, the securing of the full results of 'their.-industry to the producers by collective ownership 'of monopolies* and the extension of the economic func- .-,...' tions of. the State and municipalities. ~ Speaking at-a subsequent banquet, Mr. ■ Fisher, Leader of the Labour '■ party .in the .'Federal House of Representatives, said it had been said that some "Labour advocates were likely, by going too far, to endanger the movement, but they had to remember that a few years ago the policy, of the Labour party, now accepted %" y by the Conservatives, was regarded a* too advanced. He believed that in the future 'every party would claim the policy; which the Labour patty was now putting forward. ■■' ■~■ Mr. J. C. Watson, ex-Federal Premier and former Leader of the Labour party, said the object of the party should not ; be to gain immediate results, but rather to "i hold out to the community of the de- L pressed some beacon for the future regard-, ing the possibility Jof improving their own -; condition and the condition of their children. They could not at present fasten) " the whole of their attention upon the millennium. He intimated that though severing his connection with politics, for the present, at any rate, his connection with the Labour party would continue as long, as he was of any use to it. ,-\..: WOMEN AS SENATORS. '■■'■■■■;•'■-:'. •■■•■;■/ •', '■•'-. ; "-' : ,-.T '■■^''■''■\> r '--'^'^ DEMANDS OF THE WORKERS. (Received July 7, 11.23 p.m.) Brisbane, July 7. Mr. Fisher, Leader of the Labour party, presided at the Commonwealth Labour Con- ' ference this afternoon. Tt-was decided, 1 ' after a long debate, that a graduated land I tax on '.'.unimproved value be imposed on estates over £5000 in value. '"... Mr. Fisher, in a speech at the luncheon to-day, said that he looked forward to the time when every child attending school >~ would bo periodically examined by a doctor, and. protected against the* ravages of dieease, and, if necessary, properly clothed and fed. He also trusted that at the next Federal elections women would be endorsed as Labour candidates for the Senate. He favour proceeding by way of the law to , help the workers. There were- two ways open —universal strike and providing the necessary course to gee > that workers re* ceived just remuneration. He believed in the latter method. He believed they had reached that stage in Australia where, with universal suffrage and an educated democracy, they could do in Parliament for the workers what they could not accomplish by "a universal strike. •■ . " ■''■■'-'.- ':1 J'. ''' "'. ' .": -' ■"' . ■■ '• ■'"- '■■' COMPULSORY .SERVICE. v;\'"':.'^.^.:''-^-u-' : . ' . , & A PURELY AUSTRALIAN NAVY ; {Received July 8, 1.10 a.m.! •. Brisbane, July 7. - After a vigorous discussion on the eighth plank of the existing platform dealing with military protection it is understood that the delegate's agreed to the establishment of a system of compulsory military training for all males between certain ages, and also favoured the establishment of a purely Australian navy for coastal defence, the money for the purpose to be raised by direct tax- ' ation. The establishment of a Commonwealth Bank wits made a plank of the fighting platform, and the initiation of a Commonwealth general insurance was made a plank of. the general platform. ' ■