LIBERAL LABOUR LEAGUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2668, 3 May 1905, Page 18

LIBERAL LABOUR LEAGUE.

WELLINGTON", April 26. The Political and Labour League Conference resumed this evening.

The Hon. J. Rigg (president) stated thafe the strength of the league was 1026. He denied that the league had been, organised for deposing the present Government or Mr Seddon. It sought to have fair labour representation on municipal bodies, and a. strong Laboxxr party in Parliament. Candidates at the forthcoming general election, he said, should recognise that a. ne-w factor had arisen in political affairs. If the league could not get a candidate of its own in, it could at least keep out one whom it did not approve.

The following planks were agreed to as the fighting platform : — Periodical revalua- " tion of all Crown lands held on lease, this not to apply to existing leases until the death of the present leaseholder or tho transfer of the lease to another, as the case might be ; abolition of the sale of Crown lands ; resumption of land for closer settlement to be at the owners' valuation for taxation purposes, plus 10 per cent. ; tenants' absolute right to their improvements ; nationalisation of the tobacco industry; State Bank, with the sole right of note issue ; parliamentary franchise to apply to elections of all local bodies and municipal proposals ; referendum with the initiative in the hands of the people ; abolition of tho Upper House : elective Executive ; preference to unionists ; cessation of borrowing except for redemption and completing works already authorised by Parliament; uniform set of school books, to be printed by the Government, and issued to children attending the public, schools of the colony at cost price ; equal pay for equal work to male and female ; public defenders in cases of indictable offences and misdemeanours.

A proposal to alter a previous plank giving Labour candidates a free hand on liquor and fiscal questions was lost, and tha plank was approved as originally printed in the objects of tho league.