LABOUR PLATFORM

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7850, 12 July 1911, Page 8

LABOUR PLATFORM

WELLINGTON EAST SEAT. ADDRESS BY MR McLAREN. M.P. Mr David McLaren, M.P., for Wellington East, addressed liis consitucnts last evening in the New Century Hall, which was well filled. Mr W. 11. Broderick occupied tho chair. Mr McLaren, who was well received, said he took ifc as a mark of confidence to himself that so many should have ventured out on such a wet night- Since bo had been elected as their member nothing but goodwill had existed between himself and bis constituents. Ho could -say with truth that he had had tho heartiest support in his efforts on their behalf, and there bad been the friendliest feeling towards himself. He had in a previous recess taken the opportunity of visiting Au-tralin, where ho had deemed it a privilege to meet prominent members of the Labour party, who had made Australian politics of a clean and upright chaiacter. The plan he had M?fc before him when lie entered polities was one of observation, study, and practice. lie had never believed in tho dog-in-the-manger policy*- If any man thought because he was a Labour member that therefore lie should stand in isolation then they misunderstood him altogether. (Applause). METHODS OF PARLIAMENT., He believed tho methods of Parliament could bo much improved. They at* tempted to handle too many Bilbs. It would be far batter for the good of the country if there were fewer Bills, and those Bills of a more comprehensive character. Private members were too much restricbed in regard, to the introduction of measures. Even the "discoverer of Australia," All.* Fishor. mcinln>r for Wellington Central, could not got a private Bill through the House—(laughter)—or even the leader of the Opposition, Mr Massey, himeelf. The Government itself, with all its largo ma--jority, could not get a Land Bill through during two ■sessions. Ho had given his constituents Ins Labour pledges, «nd had kept them, lie had voted for any progressive legislation brought down which ho believed Hva« for the good of his count 17.', and. furthermore, he had stood faithful to the most important question this count 17* had to deal with—the land question. (Applause). LEASEHOLD-FREEHOLDERS. At the last election several members pledged themselves to support tho leasehold. Air Wright and Air Fisher both pledged themselves, as h© (Mr McLaren) had to do. Bnt Wright went wrong, and Fisher fell into the pool. (Laughter.) He submitted that h© liad stood fact on this question. The leader of tho Opposition, as a wily old politician, knew how to gather the fish into his net by tho subtle resolution he brought before the House. When it was pointed out to tho memljer for Wellington South that he, a leasehold member, was supporting the loader of the Opposition's freehold resolution he said. “Look where X am. I've pledged myself in two different directions, to two opposite courses, and. being innocent. I've fallen in." At any rate, when the Labour Party required a man to take a pledge it only ■ required him to take one pledge to a definite issue, and therefore ho (the speaker) knew just where he was going.

THE PAST LEGISLATION. Last session was a useful session, for much legislation for the benefit of thr workers had been placed on the statute book. With. Mr Hogg he had been ablo to render some assistance in regard to the hour© worked by attendants in mental hospitals. These were given at seventy-f our hours a week. This he had regaidod as outrageous, and he had moved for a reduction of tho vote in the Estimates as an indication that the hours should be reduced. This was carried. Correspondence which had recently appeared in the press In this city snowed that the attendants were still working these very long hours, and h© regarded it as a disgrace to the Government of tho day that this condition of things should bo allowed to continue. It showed the danger that even a vote of Parliament was not respected by the Ministry. What would cure this would be tho introduction of the Labour caucus system as prevailed in Australia, because then they could depend upon it that any Minister who ignored a vote, of Parliament would very soon find himself in difficulties. COST OF LIVING. Mr Massey had said recently that ho was in favour of reducing tho duties on the necessaries of life, yet when Mr Hogg introduced his Flour Duty Abolition Bill Mr Massey went into tho lobby against tho proposal, which was defeated by 38 votes to 21. Mr Massey had been careful to avoid details as to what particular duties should be reduced. He did not think much of the Opposition's sympathy for the workers in view of their frivolous and callous mode of procedure adopted ivhen tho Stone Quarries Bill was before Parliament, a measure designed to nrotect tho lives and limbs of the working classes of -this country. The leader of tho Opposition, had simply taken a plank of tho Labour party's platform when Ke suggested there should be provided a system of insurance against unemployment and sickness, and that pensions should be paid to women at the ago of sixty. That would have bis hearty support. He further favoured the establishment of State settlements for men out of work, where they might keep themselves.

LABOUR LEGISLATION. There had been much misleading criticism regarding their labour legislation. Mr Herdman, for instance, had declared that what wo wanted was more individual self-reliance, yet when members of the Opposition were asked to specifically name what Labour legislation they would wipo out they refused to face the question. What was wanted in this country was a consolidation of the Labour legislation so as to provide something in the nature of a proper code of industrial laws. In saying that New Zealand was flooded with Labour laws people took every Act where there might be a clause dealing with labour conditions and called all those labour laws, even down to the Banking Act, Judicature Act and Companies Act. The reason why there was so much misconception regarding the labour lairs was that too much attention was paid to the Arbitration Act, to the disadvantage of other things. The member for Wellington Central had said in a light, airy way, “Let us abolish the Arthis was concerned we liad the Wages Board system.” Wages Boards, however, were simply established to fix the wages in a particular trade, composed of assessors drawn from that trade. So far as this wa sconcerned we had the Wages Board system in New Zealand now in the Conciliation Councils, which were Wages Boards under another name. The blame was generally oast upon the workers' unions tor the condition of affairs which existed. When the unionists wanted a Dominion award all sorts of impedimenta were placed in their way. There were far too many sectional disputes at the present time. Reform would not be brought about by the parties opposing one another, but by legislation providing for dealing with disputes on the basis of tho industry and making it apply to that industry throughout the Dominion. There had been a disposition for some time to cut up districts into' smaller districts. This would always have his strongest .opposition. PEOPLE MISLED. They had been inclined to look upon the Arbitration Act as though it were a paaiacea for all their troubles. That was a misconception- Tho A'ct could not solve tho economic and industrial problems they had to meet. No matter what tribunal they set up, it could only partly even with the wages quea-

fcion, because this question rested upon others of very* grave importance. It was not the wages men got that counted, but what they could buy for tho wages. Tho problem could not be dealt with without considering its relation to rents and prices, and then they came back to the larger issue of tho proper settlement of the land. As a trades unionist of responsibility he believed it would pay the workers of this country to devote a great deal less time to the Arbitration Act and turn their attention more to the land question and the great monopolies that were growing up round about them. Prior to 1890, -581 landowners held 10,400,000 acres of land in the Dominion. That was the problem which John Ballanco and Jolm McKenzie had to face, and to some extent wo had to face it to-day. The leader of the Opposition had .said that his x>arty was the onlj' one that could deal with it. Mr Massey claimed that the only thing which belonged to the State w-as the original value, yet no less an authority than Tho Hold Rogers gave the -State the credit of every permanent improvement, every road and railway, and every better condition of society, as regulating the ground rent. Air Massey would say that Rogers was a theorist yet those principles were being canned into effect by Mr Lloyd George iu England. Ho (Air ACcLareai) wanted the women to understand this land question as well as tho men, because if they allowed the same conditions to be created in this' Dominion as in older countries, then their children -who cam© after them would be justified in cursing the memories of their fathers and mothers who forgot their duties in their day and generation. (Applause.)

KEY TO THE SITUATION. Mr Massey had said he had got the key to the land situation by the adoption of the freehold, but did they really believe t hat the Opposition were perfectly honest •when thev pleaded in favour of a universal system of freehold ? Every time a leasehold was translated into a freehold there was less chance for the man of small means to got on tho land. It was represented that tho Labour party in urging its radical policy regarding land legislation "was pressing very hard upon people engaged in working the soil, but this was not so, and the real issue was being lost sight of. Everyone knew that as much land gambling was going on under the freehold as under the leasehold system. It was a question as between productive land settlement on the ono hand and speculation in land holding on tho other. It was not a question of dealing with the people who were settling on the land. They could leave them to carry on their work, and assist them in doing it, but they had to keep their eyes on the people who were "farming" the farmers. The position must be met from the taxation side. Out of 128,019 landowners in New Zealand only 20,497 paid land tax. By way of contrast he quoted the case of a Wellington tenant who was paying £5 10s a week rent for a shop that was a "mere collection of boxes.' The taxation on land should gradually become so high as to force holders of large areas to utilise their lands or allow others to bring it into cultivation. (Applause.)

THE REFORM PARTY. Considering that the Opposition had been politically "drank” for over twenty years, it was time it reformed. But ho wanted them to keep their eyes on their professions, because their practices did. not agree with their professions. He was always suspicious regarding these sudden conversions, and as regards the Opposition that was prepared to tack anything on to its platform in view of the elections, they had to be particularly ■ careful, but he believed that when the people of New Zealand wanted a change, it would be for a change forward and not backward, .If they stood true and returned twelve Labour members they would find a reform partv that would do more to push things forward than if Mr Massey came back to power with a majority of twenty. (Applause.) REPLY TO QUESTION. In reply to Mr Cornish, the father oi the boy fined for failing to register under the Defence Act, Mr McLaren said he did not think it was right to fine lads under twenty-one when men overt-hat age and up to fifty were doing nothing for the defence of their country. < If there was any justice in compulsion, then compulsion should apply to the whole of the male section of the Dominion and not only to a small portion of them. Eg was in favour of a referendum on the question of Conscription. On the motion of Mr J. Douglas, a vote of thanks and confidence was passed to Mr McLaren. LABOUR. PARTY'S PROGRAMME THE PLANKS DEFINED; Mr McLaren, defined the planks of the Labour party's programme as follow: of monopolies: * competitive State factories: State ferry service and colliers; retention and cultivation of areas of land by the State to protect tho food supplies of the people. (2).—Productive Land Settlement.—No further sale of Crown lands; limitation of area based on. value; tenant’s absolute right ,to improvements; compulsory division of large estates by means of increased land tax; increment tax on land sales for recovery by the State of socially-created land values: renewable leasehold tenure with right of tenant to pay off capital and proportionatlcy reduce his rental, and disposal of lease only to tho State; resumption of native and other lands for closer settlement on renewable lease. 1 3) —Currency Reform.—Establishment of Dominion Bank with sole right pf note issue; restriction and reduction of public borrowing. (4). —Taxation Reform. —Increase of land tax (ordinary and graduated); graduated income tax, with a super-tax on unearned Incomes; heavy graduated absentee tax. (sh—Legislative Reform. —Abolition of Legislative Council and substitution of a Grand Committee of Revision selected from tho House; one vote ono value by the abolition of the special privilege given to rural districts in the 28 per cent, (country quota); proportional representation on single transferable vote; extension of tho powers of local bodies; parliamentary franchise in tho election of all members of local bodies; initiative and referendum on the principle of bare majority decisions; full political rights to all State employees. (6) .—Edaca tio nal Reform.—Election of education boards by direct vote of the people; maintenance of State educational system free, secular and compulsory from primary schools to university; compulsory attendance at primary schools till fifteen years of ago; provision of continuation classes for boys and girls over fifteen years of age not attending secondary or other schools; that books and stationery be printed by tho State and supplied free by tho Educational Department. (7) Industrial Reform.—Establishment of right-to-work manciple in legal enactment; insurance against unemployment; State encouragement of local industries; maintenance. improvement and simplification of the labour"laws in a proper labour code; amendment of Conciliation and Arbitration Act to facilitate the making of Dominion agreements and awards, and tho an-niica-tion of the common rulo principle. (8) Social Reform.—Provision of old age and invalidity pensions; establishment of widow and orphan State benefit fond; special State aid in cases of maternity, particularly in back-country districts.