LABOUR PARTY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9904, 24 November 1893, Page 5 (Supplement)

LABOUR PARTY.

Let him say, however, that he <sid not like this expression "Labour party," because they were ail a Labour party, though some worked in one way and some ia another.—(Applause.) Perhaps they might think ho was an idle man, bub he certainly was nob. The/ were all members of the Labour party, and he did not like any one class singled out as being more than another the Labour party. However, one sectiou of the community had been called that, and he had no doubt a good many people thought that the Ministry really did lay themselves out to assist the so-called Labour party. A good deal of legislation had been in that direction. Well, so far as the bulk of legislation was concerned, he really did not think there was very much in it. Some of it, it was true, was introduced by the previous Government, and was now upon the Statute Book. With regard to most of the labour measures he did not think any serious j harm would happen, and perhaps some little good would result. Then, with regard to the system of

A great deal had been said and written about these co-operative works, and he did not wiah to detain his hearers long about them that night. They could very easily find out from parliamentary papers what was the actual position ot .thess co-operative works, as regarded the amount paid and those who had been employed on them. He had a return in his hand which gave the wages paid from the highest to the lowesb. The highest wages were 21s 4d, the lowest 3s 6d. Well, he should say that there was attached to the highest a memorandum stating that this exceptional rate was due to a non-payment previously. But he did not want to quote the highest or the lowest. He might, however, quote one or two of the highest. The highest was 103 8M per day Here was another, 10 3 B£d. Then there was one 9.3 7d, and co on down to as low as 63 4|d. He had no doubt, of course, that if working men could get upon cooperative works in the Government employ aud earned 10s 8d on the average per day, it was a very good thing for them. But what about the rest of the community ? Was the farmer able to pay 10s 8d a day for labour ? If the Government was going to raise the rate of wages what was going to happen to the tanning community ? They could not afford to pay these rates of wages. Now, how had the working classes benefited ? Let them take these co-operative works and consider how many the Government had found employment for. It was something under 2000 out of the whole labouring class in New Zealand. Now, was that providing for the whole claw ? In no way whatever. It could not be. Government could not take up the position of finding work and wages at anything like 103 B£d per day for the whole labouring class in New Zealand. As a matter of fact they were only making provision for a few; and many were outside of the ranks of the co-operativo workers. And who was it after all that found work for them. He said if; was those who had money, those who had capital, thoso who were prepared to bring capital here ; and after all was not the bringing here of capita! and the employment; of it the most aecure thing and the best thing that the labourer had to look forward to? We could not all become co-operative labourers, because the State would break down under the strain, and we had to look for employment for the bulk of lab-jur from the ordinary chnunels through which it had been employed. He did not advocate—uor had ever advocated—a small wajje. He believed in men being paid a fair day's wage for a fair day's work; but the Government were providing for only a few, and there were a, large number of working men outside thoso select; few who had just as large a claim upon the Government as those selected had. Then the system was open to this objection: that it might be used as a political engine; that men might be provided for upon co-upcrative works who were supporters of thoso who were in power, and he said that was a bad system to adopt in auy country what&ver. And now, what was it we were promised for the future ? Ho was only going to say a very few words about it. We were promised for the future, so far as he could see, one item that stood out prominently—that was A STATE JUNK. We had had all sorts of quackeries and nostrums provided for the cure of our ills. ' Not long ago it was Protection. Foi* mauy I years closs settlement of tho land was going to • euro every difficulty. Now we had goS beyond I that, aud it was going to be a State bunk chat ' was going to make us all right—if it was not ; giiutf to make us all wroug, which was much ! more likely. Did anyoue think thdb the country was going to be m:tde right by a State bank ? The idea was too ridiculous that anything in the shape cf a State bank was