LABOUR PARTY

Southland Times, Issue 25267, 23 April 1935, Page 8

LABOUR PARTY

annual conference CAPITALIST SYSTEM DENOUNCED ELECTION PROSPECTS (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, April 22. The 19th annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party opened today, Mr H. T. Armstrong, M.P., being in the chair. One hundred and fiftysix delegates were present and more were expected to arrive during the afternoon. Mr P. Fraser, M.P., president of the' Wellington Labour Representation Committee, welcomed the delegates. He said that the conference was a most important one not only to the party but to New Zealand as a whole. He said it was generally acknowledged that for the first time in its history the party was within a reasonable distance of becoming the Government. The realization of that hope depended to a considerable extent on the deliberations, decisions and wisdom present at the conference. The National secretary (Mr Thorn) reported that the past year was one of unexampled activity by the party, which had again made rapid strides. The future could be faced hopefully and confidently, though much remained to be done before the General Election. The party was never better organized or more united in determination for winning New Zealand for Labour. Under the present able leadership and with the united support of all members this undoubtedly would be achieved. The conference business would be strictly confined to Labour’s Plan for New Zealand, the best means of obtaining power, and the methods to be adopted to put the plan into operation with Labour sitting on the Government benches. Mr Armstrong, in his presidential address, said that the chief object of the party was to raise the standard of life of the men and women who did the useful and necessary work of the country. This could not be accomplished while the monetary system was left to the undisputed control of profiteers who operated it in the interests of profit without consideration of the interests of the mass of the people. There could be no real prosperity until the control of credit and currency was' divorced from the system of private profit and transferred to a Government responsible to the people of the Dominion. Government “Military Mad.” “As National president my duties have made it necessary for me to visit nearly every part of the North and South Islands and I have had an opportunity of discussing the political situation with all classes of the people and I am firmly of the opinion that the prospects of Labour being successful at the polls were never brighter,” continued Mr Armstrong. “I am also of the opinion that if the election had taken place at the proper time in November last these would have been a crushing defeat of the Government. The Government also thought so, which is the only reason why the elections were postponed for a year. If Labour does not win at the next election there is a grave danger of democratic government being overthrown in favour of some kind of dictatorship. With the Fascist rule in so many of the Continental countries and with the international warmongers working to plunge the world into another war one wonders whether civilization itself can be saved if the capitalist system of exploitation, greed and robbery is not soon superseded by one which has for its objective the lifting of the general standard of living and economic freedom for all who are willing to render social service. Our Government seems to be acting as the willing tool of the war gods and are going military-mad. They have tins year increased the defence vote enormously, while at the same time they have reduced the vote for education. There seems to be no scarcity of money when it is needed for the destruction of human life, but it is not available for the purpose of feeding hungry children and to preserve life. It will not be necessary for me to remind delegates that the decisions of this conference will be anxiouslyawaited by many thousands of loyal Labour supporters in this country who are looking to this party to rescue them from a life of misery and want and this is surely possible at a time when there is an abundant supply of everything which the human family needs and which the people have produced by their own labour. There never was a time in the history of our country when the business of the conference was of such far-reaching importance and when so much depends upon the result of our deliberations. The cause of suffering humanity is appealing to us for help and only a united effort on our part can render that help. If we leave this conference determined to show a united front to the common enemy no power in this country can withstand us. In the unity of Labour rests the hope of the world.”