YOUNG NEW ZEALAND PARTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14972, 20 April 1912, Page 8

YOUNG NEW ZEALAND PARTY.

JOINS UNITY SCHEME.

The adjourned meeting of the Young New Zealand party waa held in the Wesley Hall, Pitt-street, on Thursday evening, Mr. George Stevenson (vico-pretrident) in the chair. Colonel Bell representing the Waikato branch, was also present.' Mr. L. Johnstone (organiser) gave his report as delegate to the Unity. Con-, ference, which, ho claimed, was the most important gathering ever held in New Zealand, representing: 35,000 male voters. In tho courso of the report Mr. Johnstone said that the Labour representatives now realised that it was useless merely to deal with matters such as wages and hours, any improvement in which, only tended to increase the cost of living. They were unanimous in realising that the incideijco of taxation dealing with monopolies, electoral reform, and the extension of • the functions of tho State generally were of paramount importance. 4 It was unanimously decided to affiliate with the unity scheme, it being clearly understood that the Young New Zealand party would still work .on its own lines, and that the party did not necessarily endone every item in the United Labour party's platform. ' Full consideration was given to the im-, Srovement of tho platform of the Young Tew Zealand party, and the following platform was unanimously agreed upon. • (1) Electoral reform, one adult one vote one value, proportional . representor tion, elective executive with popular initiative and referendum. (2) Reduction in the cost of living by the abolition of all custom.*, taxation on necessaries of life and articles of common use not manufactured in New Zealand, and tho substitution of a land values tax which shall not exceed, in the case of landholders holding lees than £1000 unimproved land value, the amount now being paid in customs taxation by an average family, such taxation to apply equally to town and country lands. (3) Establishment of a State bank. (4) Public ownership of all monopolies and the securing to the workers of the full reward of their labour. (5) Conservation of natural resources. (6) Suppression of all forms of gambling- • .., The age limit was removed from the constitution, and persons of any ago and either sex are now eligible for membership. Owing to tho large number of apologies for abscnoe, the election of officers for the coming year was postponed. Mr. L. Johnstone, organiser, intends to visit the Thames, Waihi, and the Waikato districts, in order to establish branches of the Young New Zealand party.