I.L.P. CONFERENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21040, 31 May 1930, Page 3

I.L.P. CONFERENCE.

MR MAXTON DECLARES WAR. SOCIALISM IN OUR TIME. (Euou Oub Own Correspondent.) T ~ LONDON, April 24. In tus presidential address to the conference of the Independent Labour Partyin Birmingham. Mr James Maxton, M.P. sharply criticised the policy of leading members of the Socialist Government. . In addition to bringing about “Socialism in our time, ’ Mr Maxton asserted, it was the further function of the I.L.P. to insist upon the immediate increasing oftte consuming power of the workers. he parked, “it is nothing short if disgraceful that with a Labour Lrovernment in power the workers in import?"* l £ dus tries like cotton and wool should suffer reductions in wages, and the miners be unable to raise their standard ot life above what we have often described as starvation level." To £ut these standards into operation, he maintained, required drastic taxation ot the rich, and it was regrettable that the Chancellor of the Exchequer bad not seen fit to challenge the great vested intereste in this way. Such taxation would be met by the threat of finance capital to leave the country, but if Labour were going to retreat before such a threat it might throw in its hand. The carrying out of such a threat would provide Labour with the opportunity and the necessity or assuming ownership and control of both finance and industrial capital. 'lt seems to me.” said Mr Maxton, that the Lord Privy Seal (Mr J. H. Thomas) would have served the working class of this nation better if he had taken the experienced and capable men and women of the co-operative movement into his counsels, rather than devoting his attention to wooing railway directors, cotton magnates, and city financiers.” THE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP. Mr Maxton also declared that the couneil of the I.L.P. “intends to exclude from tlie I.L.P. group in the House members who, while declaring themselves 1.L.P.-ers , i e . ln , Public and private activities been definitely hostile to the I L P ” There are 200 I.L.P. members of Parliament, but the rebel group who have followed Mr Maxton’s lead number only about 30. “Normally,” said Mr Maxton, “what 1 hope will happen in future is that we shall get a group really anxious to get on with Socialism in onr time.’” The conference adopted, with two or three dissentients, a resolution instructing the executive “to reconstruct the Independent Labour Party parliamentary group on the basis of acceptance of the policy of the I.L.P. as laid down by the decisions ot the conference and interpreted by the executive council."