LABOR'S IDEALS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10516, 26 July 1910, Page 2

LABOR'S IDEALS.

HON. J. T. PAUL ON THE NEW PLATFORM. A SANER OUTLOOK. By Telegraph. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, July 25. A number of questions about the new Labor platform were put to the Hon. J. T. Paul, one of the Labor delegates, upon, his return from the Auckland conference to-night. He was found to be enthusiastic about the new production because, as lie put it, the programme lias adopted a saner outlook and endeavored to meet the political position as it is to-day in a - 'more workmanlike fashion than was done by the two last conferences

Then Mr Paul proceeded to deal with the main'planks. "New Zealand in the light of its past traditions," he said,-"is not likely to allow any monopoly in the shape of either trust, combine, or trade price list to squeeze the people. The only sane and immediate safeguard I conceive is the nationalisation of those monopolies. Therefore lam exceedingly pleased to find the nationalisation of monopolies in the forefront. It will be noticed that the Conference thought fit to include a proposal to acquire steamers to carry the output, of State collieries to the consumer in State-owned ships, and when it is known that the freight bill of the State Coal Department last year amounted to £63,000 it will be realised that the proposal is not premature. I believe the various planks in the platform concerning land reform," continued Mr Paul, "constitute the best policy yet put forward by the Labor party. In the first place it stands for absolute security of tenure to the land occupier; at the same time the necessity of limitation of area is recognised so as to secure a good distribution, while a vigorous closer settlement policy and an increment tax on all land sales to secure to the State all sociallycreated values is at least an attempt to curb land speculation which harasses the genuine farmer It is not our object to penalise either industry or ability," continued the Labor advocate, when he was asked to explain the party's taxation reform proposals. "There is a proposal to readjust the burden of taxation by a scientific application of the income tax." Tile interviewer asked why an attempt was not suggested to decrease indirect taxation through the Customs. "It has been such a cardinal point in all our past programmes that the r party thought it need not he stated," was the answer. "However. I believe that some definite proposal in this direction might well have been included, though I as : sumc it was not excluded for any reason whatever." —Not a Class Programme. — Is the new programme purely a class was the next query Mr Paul was asked to answer, and he gave a prompt negative. "Not' by any -means," lie said, "though it is true that . many of the 'proposals touch the individual section of the community more particularly. This must always be the case in a programme put forward in a country which is desirous of uplifting its citizens. Obviously if you improve the mass of the people you improve not only the larger section but the whole people. If I might say .so the programme is devised in a spirit of genuine anxiety to help the people of this Dominion to enjoy the bounteous stores which this favored laud can easily bo made to yield." As to the practical means of bringing its ideals to pass Mr Paul stated that the party was unanimous in the belief that more Parliamentary representatives were necessary, and it had also been decided to explain the platform by means of public meetings and through the press. He thought there was no danger of the movement being appropriated by the ultra-Socialists and made a section one. "The existence and progress of the Labor party," he concluded, "depends solely upon the capacity of the leaders to show a plain path towards the desired goal. If that is done I have no fear of the future of progress in this country."