LABOUR PARTY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24826, 24 February 1944, Page 7

LABOUR PARTY

EASTER CONFERENCE TOTAL OF 1131 REMITS A total of 1131 remits will be placed before the 28th annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party, which will open in Wellington on Easter Monday, April 10. The conference will also elect a new national executive, many nominations having been received for all of the 20 positions except that of national secretary, the present holder of this office, Mr. M. Moohan, being re-elected unopposed. If the railway restrictions are lifted before the date of the conference, there is likely to be a very large attendance of delegates from all parts of the Dominion, states the Labour newspaper the Standard. There is, however, no likelihood of the conference being postponed. Position o! President

Five nominations have been received for the presidency of the party, including Mr. James Roberts, who has occupied the position since 1937. The other nominees are the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, the present vice-president, and Mrs. M. M. Dreaver, Mr. C. Carr, M.P., and Mr. F. Langstone, M.P. There are 13 nominations for vice-pre-sident, and 39 for the five seats on the central executive. Contests will also be held for each of the 12 positions as divisional area representatives. "This year's conference will consider numerous proposals for further extensions of the humanitarian legislation of the Government and its decisions will be of far-reaching importance to all the people of Now Zealand," says the Standard. Among the subjects deall with hv the remits are education, social security and health, defence, peace and war, land and agriculture, electoral and public service, policy and finance and rehabilitation. Education and Social Security Remits dealing with education include proposals that the Government provide for free education from the kindergarten to the university, that all text books be printed by the Government printer and supplied at cost, that the conference reaffirm the principle of free, secular and compulsory education, that a complete reorganisation of adult education be undertaken and that the franchise for education boards be extended to all householders.

Proposals- under the heading of "Social Security and Health" include the following:—That doctors claim fees direct from the Social Security Department and that they be not permitted to charge more than 7s 6d for a consultation. that the medical section of the Social Security Act be fully implemented, that health centres be established. that inquiries be made into the "excessive charges" of private and maternity hospitals, that the profit on patent medicines be limited by law, that a layette allowance of £2O be provided for expectant mothers, that all industrial workers be medically examined and X-rayed at six monthly intervals. that the Social Security Act be extended to include death, funeral and burial, dental and optical benefits, that all civil and war disability pensions be equalised, and that the maximum income with family allowance be raised to £8 10s a week, and the basis raised from £5 5s to £6 6s a week.

Another remit urges that a plebiscite be taken among fanners to determine whether they wish the guaranteed price to be continued. It is also proposed that all branches of the farming industry be classed as essential. Control of Undertakings

Preferential voting for Parliamentary and local body elections is advocated. Other electoral proposals are that voting and enrolment for both these types of election be compulsory, that the candidate's political status be printed on ballot papers, that there, be one roll for Parliamentary and local body elections, that the voting age be lowered, and that voting at general elections be by (a) proportional representation, and (b) second ballot system.

Government control of a wide variety of undertakings is urged in a number of "policy and finance" remits. These include electricity supply, dental, medical and optical services, the building and fishing industries, land, sea and air transport, all ferry services, industries producing munitions and war equipment, all classes of insurance, ana all patriotic funds after the war. It is also suggested that auctioneering of foodstuffs, fruit and produce by private enterprise be abolished and the sale of these commodities be administered solely by the Internal Marketing Division. Another remit urges that a minimum term of imprisonment be enforced for offences against the price regulations, and that the stabilisation regulations be overhauled and extended to cover all necessities.

The greater use of the radio for explaining Government policy, political propaganda and matters of national interest is advocated. The Government is urged to set up or appoint a Department of Information, a Minister of Publicity and a national publicity officer. It is also proposed that radio licence fees be reduced to 12s 6d annually.

UNIFORM PARTS STOLEN EX-SOLDIER IMPRISONED "I think you need a term of imprisonment to help you to pull yourself out of this attitude into which you have fallen," said Mr. J. H. Luxford. S.M.. yesterday, when sentencing a returned soldier, Clarence Reginald Phillip Burt, aged 35 (Mr. Aekins), for the theft of parts of American uniforms valued at £3 6s. Counsel said accused had been blown up by a land-mine at El Alamein, and when he returned to New Zealand he was discharged from the Army as being grade 4 medically. Accused felt keenly not being in uniform, and had asked the Army to have him back in any capacity. He had stolen the uniform to wear. Accused had been examined by a specialist because of his injuries, said tne magistrate, but- there "was no psychiatric condition. He had been admitted to probation on a similar charge just prior to committing the present offence. He whs sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment with hard labour.

SERIES OF CHARGES OFFENCES BY SALESMAN. (O.C-) KAITAIA, Wednesday Facing ton charges, Alfred Hicks Howell, salesman, appeared before justices in the Kaitaia Court. The charges concerned the thefts of benzine at Okaihau and Rnngiahua, breaking and entering and theft from the Victoria Valley school, thefts at Kaitaia, and car conversion at the same place. Regarding the breaking and entering charge in connection with the Victoria Valley school, this was admitted by Howell, who stated that the articles taken had been burned when the ear he was driving had caught fire and was destroyed on the mam road near Kaitaia. On this charge, he was remanded to the Supreme Court for sentence. Detective George Miller, when dealing with the car conversion charge, said that accused had taken the car from Kaitaia, and later this had been located by the police at Horeke. On a search in the gorse near by, Howell was discovered in hiding. Pleading guilty to this charge, Howell was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. On each of the two charges of stealing benzine, both of which Howell admitted, he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, the sentences to be. concurrent. On the other charges, to which Howell also pleased guilty, he was convicted and discharged. Accused was remanded to Whangarei to answer a further charge of breaking, entering and theft at Oakleigk.