LABOUR PARTY'S AIMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16980, 14 October 1918, Page 7

LABOUR PARTY'S AIMS.

ELECTION AND LIQUOR POLL

CAMPAIGN ■ IN AUCKLAND

Addresses, in the course of which appeals were made for the support of the petitions issued by the Labour Party asking for a general election, and for a poll on the liquor question on the four issues approved by the party, were delivered on Saturday evening at the corner of Queen Street and Karangahape Road before a large crowd.

Mr. J. Purtell contended that it was the right of the people that a poll on the liquor question should have been taken in 1917, but Parliament ignored that right, and at the same time extended its own life | until 1919. Was it not time the people I forced the Government to postpone no longer the poll which should have been taken 12 months ago? The poll outlined i;i the Labour Party's petition was democratic in the true sense of the word. The Labour Party was determined to do its utmost to see that the democratic rights of the people were respected, and that all methods of settling the question were submitted to the electors. The speaker then explained the four issuesnational continuance, national prohibition with compensation, national prohibition without compensation, and national ownershin—upon which, it was desired to have a poll. The petition also asked for the democratic right to exercise a preferential vote by use of the single transferable vote. Speaking in support of the petition for a general election this year, or early next year, the speaker said that recent byelections were a clear indication that the Government had lost the confidence of the people. It was clearer than ever that it was the duty of Parliament to ascertain without further delay if it still had the confidence of the people. For the present Parliament to continue to carry on for another 12 months, when there was e. great doubt that it had lost the confidence of the Dominion, j and did not really represent the people, was, in' the opinion of Labour at any rate, a violation of the constitution. Another cogent reason for holding a general election was the lamentable failure of the present Government to deal with the enormously increased cost of living. The Labour Party contended that if it were possible to fix prices for the Imperial Government it was equally possible to fix prices for the dependants of the men who were away fighting. (Applause.) Many poor people only seldom tasted meat owing to its high price. What the country wanted was a strong man with a Parliament behind him more adequately representative of the working classes, to grapple fjrmly with the questions and to see that the exploitation of the man with the small wage was stopped once for all. (Applause.) Mr. J. Hunter said Labour was coming forward to demand its righto, and it was going to see that it got them. (Applause.) That was why it was demanding c general election. The present Government was out of touch with the people, and certainly with the working classes, whom it had bound hand and foot. New Zealand was overflowing with meat and dairy produce, but owing to the exorbitant prices many working people could not buy sufficient for their needs. The country needed popula- i tion, but where wan the inducement to to bring up families when parents could not feed and clothe them properly? Instead of making an honest endeavour to reduce the prices 'of necessaries of life the present Government was subsidising the cost of the erection of additions to the huge stores already in existence. There was no justification whatever for the present exploitation; much rather did the circumstances warrant an immediate reduction in prices. The feeling was growing in the ranks of Labour that the only way to abolish this relentless exploitation was for the. workers themselves to assume control of the industries and have r shareto which they were entitled— the wealth produced by their labours.