POLITICAL LABOUR LEAGUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2808, 8 January 1908, Page 12

POLITICAL LABOUR LEAGUE.

DEMAND FOR NATIONALISATION. CHRISTCHURCH, December 28. The Political Labour League Conference resumed to-day. The motion to omit the word "independent" from the title of the league, which was carried yesterday, was. recommitted for further consideration, but a motion to reinsert the word was lost. It> was resolved that in the opinion of the conference the Mining Act Bhould be amended by making it illegal to work miners between, the hours of 12 midnight and 8 a.m.

and 8 a.m. I Mr Homing (Auckland) moved — "That i there is urgent ■ necessity for an act to' empower the Arbitration Court io fijc rents, interest, and profits, and the regulation of i prices of commodities, otherwise the- regulation of wages is a farce-."" He said thit it seemed necessary that something further should be. done to curtail the extortionate demands of landlords and others. rMr Brown seconded, and. said the court's awards made no provision- for increases in the cost of living >and of rent during the currency of an award, so that wages bore no relation whatever to "the price of commodities and rent. He did not wish the court to be abolished, but at present it was incomplete and half -developed. Its powers would have to be extended, and additional presidents would have to be .appointed. ' , Mr , Campbell contended— "that the court as at present constituted consisted of two representatives of the employers, as the man appointed by the Government was reared Sas a Conservative.- The chairman should be'elected by the people. ' Mr Chapman described the proposal in the motion as a short out to a happy state of affairs, but it was a short cut that ended in a blind alley while 'the land and the means of production remained in private hands. Parliament would simply be playing the- fool in attempting to regulate profits, interest, rents, and the price of commodities. The Arbitration Court had proved a dismal failure, and the only way to solve the question was the nationalisation of the land and the means of jiro- . jduction. " - • -

• Mr Webb took a similar view. The President expressed, surprise tha* the motion had been brought forward. The only way to deal with the matter satisfactorily was public ownership of the means of production. " Mr Breen considered that it would be unwise to extend the powers of the court in the direction indicated; and he himself was satisfied that the court had served its day. It wouldi not be wise to trust the court further. ' »££ Sul I * i . mn moved as an amendment— lhat this conference affirms its conviction tnat the only way to regulate' interest, pront, and rent;* and ensure increased spending power to the workers, is by entrance into industry of the people themeelves. He said that the president of the court .was, so far as the -workers are conw^tTtb riiactl<)nar y> and no* in sympathy

Mr Douglas seconded the amendment, and said that if the motion was agreed to it would have the effect of placing the workers in bonds for 250 years. -Mr -Campbell said that they were going to get nationalisation in 10 years, and he believed that members of the league woiijd be men who would rua the country 10 years hence.

Mr Breen said he knew that the present president of the^ court was very sympathetic towards the workers, but was bound down by so many established precedents that he was unable to show that sympathy as fully as he might. When he 'got going they would get better results from the court. At the i same time he (the speaker) maintained that they had very little more to expeot from the tribunal. ' "

The President said that they did not want to abolish the court and revert to the old system of strikes. The 'court and all systems of conciliation, of industrial councils, ana of strikes had proved inadequate and had not setjfleq the problem, and was not going to" do so. Mr Howard contended that expressions of opinion from' unionists in, favour of the court which had been published in the local press had been obtained from selected unionists, and did not represent the opinions of the majority, Mr Brown stated that the reason why better results were not obtained from the court was that the workers do not take a live interest in the matters before it and did not force their views on the community generally. 'The amendment was agreed to. MX, SuUiyan moved—' 'That t&a Ravern-

ment establish State farms close to all the industrial centres, where a man can demand the right to work." Mr Webb seconded, and said that such farms would prove the death blow to the flour trust.

Mr Chapmaji thought that the principle of the right of everyone to work should be affirmed, and State farms would form one of the means of providing work, but State workshops should also be, provided. Mr Brown referred to the' non-success of the State farm at Levin, and urged that the farms contemplated in the motion should be established on lines that would ensure their success.

Mr Breen said that the motion should affirm the prinoiple of the right to work, the State to engage in all forms of industry. He moved as an amendment — " That the Government immediately extend the functions of the State for the purpose of supplying to the people the necessaries of life, andf as a. first step in that direction establish State farms and State flour mills." >The amendment was agreed to. It was further agreed — " That this conference affirms that the principle of the right to obtain work should be extended to every citizen, and that it be the duty of the State to provide work for every citizen who applies for it." » The Preside/, moved — "That it be an instruction t« the incoming executive to prepare a scheme for submission to the .branches by which the principle of the right to obtain work can be operated.' He said that they wanted the right to obtain work to extend to every line of industry. Mr Webb seconded the motion. '

Mr Chapman, contended that the .unemployed should be employed in the work to which they were adapted. Men at present were unemployed because, in some instances, their fellows worked too long. If by working eig*ht hours all the workers in an industry were not employed, then it would be possible to reduce the hours of labour. Mr Campbell said -that, speaking from two years' experience, the railway cooperative works of the country had been brought into disrepute amongst good navvies, because if a man was an agitator in favour of the league he was not allowed to earn half wages. There was no use of rushing into the matters referred to m the motion until iliey had a sympathetic Government in power. Mr Brown thought the discussion was .getting too theoretical', and they were neglecting matters of practical utility. The * motion, was agreed to by 11 f to Mr' Cobbe (Ashburton) moved— " That the Government provide free doctors and medicine for the people." . Mr Campbell seconded the motion, but thought that the wording should be altered to the nationalisation of the medical profession. It was their aim to nationalise everything. Mr Chapman said that the reform was yery necessary, in view of the high charge made by the profession. . Mr/ Ashman said that all medical men did not refuse to attend patients who were unable to pay. . Mr Brown thought the motion should be altered to indicate that free doctors and medicine should be provided for those who could not afford to pay for the same. He moved an amendment to that effect. Mr Chapman said that no discrimination

The amendment was negatived, and the motion was agreed to. \ Mr Munro moved— " That tne Old-A«e Pension Act be amended by increasing the pension to at least 12s"" 6d per week* end makiajf it payable at 60 years of age, and unconditional in all respects, except as to time of reeidence." He thought that it would be one of the strongest planks of their platform. . Mr Webb seconded, and suggested thafcthe additional cost oould be paid out of the profits of the railways. Mr Campbell thought that 12s 6d was not too mudh, and he, hoped it would Tiltimatelv be raised to fil. Mr Sullivan, said that the present pension wao a niggardly ?um to pay the veterans of industry. The funds for the increased pension should be obtained by increasing the income tax of those for whom the veterans of industry had "slogged and slaved." The motion was carried amidst applause. Mr Howard moved the deletion of the following from the fighting platform— "The Industrial, Conciliation, and Arbitration Act to apply to State employees. The President seconded, " and stated that j the reason for the motion was that the leagu* did q& Jt*nt io Alienate to* »£in-

-———___:-.^i^-l_^_l— l^r■■•^-Ty!!!^^■■ pathy of 6000' railway employees, who did' i not want to come, under ]th,e.' act. The motion was agreed I 'to. Mr Chapman moved; and Mr Brown • seconded-^' "That tihe branches : be allowed | more freedom in/ regard to Ideal elections" with power to -"form, temporary' alliances to -promote the- objects of the league." Objection l was taken to the motion on the ground that it' would defeat the objects of the league. '" " . ' "• : Mr Campbell, said if ' the motion- was passed the league- would, become the laughing stock of the country. ' •-*„"-. Mr Ashman- supported the motion, and' ■urged that the league should not ■ oppose 1 candidates who were good /Labour ' members simply because they do not belong to the league. They -should go to- flnrui y nut, Ellesmere, Kaiapoi; and other -places ' that are not solid for Labour.

; Mr Howard' said that- the league would/ have to disband if the motion was,'' agreed* to. ' The Labour members alluded -to by the previous epe&ner ""were ready to joi*" the league if the v clause preventing 1 '■ anys member of the^ party taking • Ministerial J'position -was deleted; The league wanted to prevent self-seeking. - '; ~- " ••- Mr Sullivan, said that the motion went against the vital principle of the -league, - whioh was that the people's representatives were delegates sent to Parliament to register the will of ' the people. .* , " •' Mr Brown explained that the "power' "was only required for special occasions and to prevent an -Oppositionist slipping- in be- _ tween Liberal and Labour candidates.

The President strpngly opposed the* motion, and said that if they wanted to be independent they must be independent noS only of Liberals- and Conservatives 1 , but also of independent free-lances. The independent man who • professed to believe in' democratic principles and at the same tirad is the bond slave of a Government that doesn't believe in those principles was tha worst enemy that Labour - had. If -tho - motion was agreed to he would look round* ,, for some other field 1 for > his political . activity. He wanted a straight Independent Labour party, and, nothing else would l • satisfy him. He was, he said* violently opposed to all shades of Liberalism, and would go for straigh'tout revolutionary Socialism. . , Mr Chapman cited the experience of the, Wellington branch, whose four, candidates at the general election polled 1800 between them, but when they allied .themselves, .to the Trades Unions the Labour candidate a« the municipal election got 430Q, votes;. Tha idea was to. bring the 'Trades ,< Unions -into* j line instead of leaving them. to-,. support Opposition or Government,, candidates. In Wellington the league had set up a Labour Representation Committee to whioh Trades Unions, the Socialist party, the Laboua Society, and similar .organisations were invited 1 . ' - '* '

The President asked .whether candidates selected by such a method would sign ihe league's pledge? . . , Mr Brown said . that- they would sign the pledge drafted by the Labour Representation Committee. • - n

The motion was negatived by 8 to 6.w The incoming executive was empowered to appoint -a colonial organiser to organise the workers throughout the country in -the interests of the Political Labour League. ; : It was decided -that the next conference be held in Auckland next Ghristmasi t It was resolved*— " That this conferencecondemns the action of the Minister of Education in sanctioning the flogging of girls." A motion by the President to revert to ■ the original plank. of the league's platform regarding 1 land reform was negatived bat 7 votes to 4. ,