LABOUR PARTY POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21765, 3 April 1934, Page 11

LABOUR PARTY POLICY

ATTITUDE TO COMMUNISTS NOT ACCEPTED AS MEMBERS [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION*] CHRISTC&URCH. Monday Over 100 delegates from all parts of the Dominion met to-dav for the annual conference, of the New Zealand Labour Party, The president, Mr. F. Langstone, M.P., presided. Proceedings were not open to the press. The conference decided to delete the proportional representation plank from the electoral platform. The national executive favoured its retention, but four branches submitted remits requesting its deletion, and this proposition was carried. The conference also decided that membership of the Frionds of the Soviet Union was not compatible with membership of the New Zealand Labour Party. At the annual conference last year, the executive was instructed to inquire into the authenticity of a circular issued by the Friends of the Soviet Union attacking members of the Labour Party. At the meeting to-day, the national executive reported that it had established authenticity, and for this reason recommended the conference to declare as already stated. There was a long debate but the majority in favour of the executive's recommendation was large. Members of the party who are now members of the Friends of the Soviet Union are to be asked to withdraw from it. The conference also carrier! a resolution to remove all political disabilities of women. The main disability remaining is ineligibility for the Legislative Council, and the conference contended that this should be removed. EFFORTS IN PARLIAMENT LIMFTKD VOTING STRENGTH [HY TELEGRAPH —TRESS ASSOCIATION"] CHRISTCHURCH. Monday The odds against which the Labour Party had to fight during the last session of Parliament were referred to in the report of the Parliamentary Labour Party, which was presented to the annual conference of the Now Zealand Labour Party by Mr. M. J. Savage, M.P., to-day. The report stated that the legislation passed during the session had made it clearer than ever that the only hope of redress for those bearing the brunt of the depression lay in a Labour victory at the polls. Jt was evident that there was a great deal of dissatisfaction in the ranks of the Coalition Party over the Reserve Hank Bill, as there was when the exchange rate was increased, but it was made just as evident that the disgruntled section of the Government, with one or two exceptions, were prepared to accept the dictates of their leaders rather than embarrass the Government and lose their party's future support. During the session Labour fought every measure that was in conflict with Labour principles, but 21 members in a House of 80 could achieve little in effective results.