UNITES LABOUR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 26, 28 May 1912, Page 5

UNITES LABOUR.

•EXPLANATION OF THE PARTY'S PLATFORM BY HON. GEORGE FOWLDS. Last flight the Hon. George Fowlds addressed, in the interests of the United Labour Party, an audience of some fifty persons m the Town Hall. j n the absence of the Mayor., who was «la 2 aged with a special meeting of the Borough Council, the chair was taken by Mr. M. McMtfhon, who brieflj introduced the speaker In his opening remarks, Mr. Uowwa said lie had just returned from a seventeen days' trip in the South Island, fflwh y iehhe P had addressed[nineteen meetings, and everywhere he had found the keenest interest being displayed in this new pol bical party and sympathy with its aims and objects Sfested. "I have not come here to-night," he continued, "to decrj 01 to difparage the «ork that has already been accomplished. I realise that good service in its way has been done, but I feel confident that the time lias a - rived when a new movement is neecied, in order to give full expression to the ideals of the people of this coun-t,-v I believe that the lesson of the last election is that the great mass of the people were more progressive than the Government that was m officeJ.< the Opposition people have any uiea that the increased vote at the last election is indicative of a Aowing love for tho Opposition principles by the mass, they are making a great mistake." (Applause.). Mr. Fowlds explained that the mam objective of that vote was a desire on the par. of Lahonr, and progressive people, tor reform—the Government were not going fast enough to satisfy the ideals of those people. "Some* people, added 'the new evangel'," have an idea that the Liberal Party is the only party that is feeling sick or sad Share are other people feeling a great deal more sick than the Liberals, and that is the representatives of wealth, who see a new movement that is fraught with possibilities of a King they don't like." (Applause.) "Signs of Crowing Unrest." "If you look around to-day," pursued Mr. Fowlds, "you will see 1 fear, growing signs of unrest, and dissatisfaction with the existing social conditions. Men of all. classes have civen expression to tho idea, that that unrest is not liable to be stopped until essential changes have taken place in the conditions under which tne creat mass of the people live While it is quite true that in New Zealand conditions are very much better, you have to recognise the fundamental fact that the same conditions which affected the Old Country are in operation in New Zealand to-day, and unless we move forward and put our soma conditions into harmony with natural law, we are likely to produce similar evils here in this country." (Applause.) Party Organisation. Passing on to the form and organisation of the United Labour Party, the speaker said he believed it was one of the finest pieces of constructive melanism to effect a political purpose that had ever been devised. Briefly, it took the form of tho organisation ol local unions, and associations ot progressive people in different branches of industry or in different sections of the community. The basis of organisation was the unions, but the co-re-lated brandies would be worked into a federated group, and from the who e tho executive of the United Laboui Party would be drawn. In addition to that, in order to secure that every section of the community which holt progressive ideas might oe include*! in the party, it had been. arrangec. that associations might be joined together and affiliated with the Labour Party. On payment of a nominal subscription to the party, radical and progressive associations of many kinds might be joined together and affiliated with the Labour Party. Tho Platform. Tlfe United Labour Party, Mr. Fowlds claimed, aimed at the production of the highest and most efficient form of citizenship, and the establishment of 'social justice on the widest possible basis, in order that those on the lowest rung of the ladder, politically and socially, might have a proper'chance in this world, and in order to secure a more equitable distribu-tion-.of labour's products. In cmplovinc the term he desired that his audience would appreciate it m its fullest sense, and extend the term to admit of the country shopkeeper or the small farmer. Manual labourers wer.e not the only workers, as they understood the term. Their platform would commend itself to many people because it was a definite one, whereas they had but to refer to the recent Governor's speech to note that the platform of the Liberal Government was unstable. It was necessary to set a high ideal at the outset, even though the party-might not get complete realisation of its platform immediately it obtained power. The first plank, continued the speaker, was the securing for democracy of the soundest of ecucation. Tho second plank was that of proportional representation, while other reforms at which the party aimed were—tho initiative referendum and recall, the endowment ot motherhood, a State Bank, with the sole right of note issue, provision tor public defence as well as public prosecutions, a State ferry service of steamers, and co-operation with the Federal Government in the direction of securing a State inter-colonial steamer service, and an liicreare in the land tax with a remit on Customs duties. _ ~ The Private Tax-GatSwor. To tho last-named "reform," Mr. Fowlds devoted the major part of his speech, advocating for a start a tax of a penny in the & on land. It was wonderful'how much opposition there was, said the speaker, to the public tax-gatherer, but it was the private tax-gatherer who was bleeding the people. During the last nineteen years, from 1891 to 1910, land values in the Dominion had increased by £126,625,000, this being £6,664,000 a year. He reminded his audience that these figures dealt onjy with unimproved value ; the improved value was represented by another £87,000.000. For the purpose of his calculations ho would take the population of _Ncw Zealand at one million, and it would bo seen that for every man and woman and child in this 'country, and for every year, £6 10s per head had been claimed in land values and handed over to a small section of the community. Allowing 5 per cent, on £150,000,000, representing the value of privatelyowned bind, he claimed that there was an additional £9 Us per head that had to be provided in order to maintain existing land values. Taking a family of five, the total represented £Bl per family, and this sum had to be produced every year by that family in order to maintain existing values, and provide for the increase that was going on. Referring to the people who derived the benefit from that increase in land value, Mr. Fowlds said that onlv one-quarter of the land owners in Noav Zealand owned land over the value of £SOOO. Tt was the custom, he remarked, under the exist-

iug state of tilings, for a man. when he owned land over the value of £SOO, to put all over that amount in his wife's name, and, if required, in his children's names. . A voice: "Don't you do it ? Mr. b'owlds: "I do. I am here condemning a system that is wrong. _ 1 have no complaint with existing circumstances. 1 have received my hill share, and I hope before i die that i shall spend all I have in endeavouring to educate the people. ■ (Applause.) . Continuing, Mr. Fowlds aoiit into figures to show that during the last nineteen years 22,500 people, representing the land owners, nad been g'.ven (•11-1,000,000. Was that r.ght, and was it not time that they should do something to put a stop to v\t Mr. Fowlds proceeded to show how he would change the existing circnnStances by land taxation. He claimed that this would not be a burden on the small farmer. The most that anyone owning land under the value of £SOO would have to pay would be hi is Bd. Against this there Mould be a remit in Customs duties to rhe extent of 12s Gd per head of the jjopn.ation. which, for the average tinny. would mean £4 13s yd.per year, lhe man it would effect was the large land owner, and he emphasised the point that it was not so much from the broad acres of farm land that the money would come as from the city properties, with their residential value. Referring to the money we have borrowed, he said that it went into the pockets of the landowners, and net into the pockets of the workers as wages. The building of railways, public buildings, roads and bridges, all caused a rise in land value. Even such a reform as temperance caused the property owner to make more money, since-, as the worker's position improved he was able to demand higher rent. 'ln conclusion, Mr. Fowlds urged his audience to support the United Labour Party if they wished to tee social justice established. ( Questions. Mr. W. Porter questioned whethei the retailer would not pass on the tax. (Mr. Fowlds: "There is one thing on which all economists are agreed, and that is that the land tax cannot be shifted. A retailer in land to-day takes all he can get. He cannot pass on anything, for the reason that ho is getting all he can now.'' Another gentleman wished to know how Mr. Fowlds would carry out the reforms ho advocated —by borrowing or by increasing the taxf Mr. Fowlds replied that the Id hi the. £ tax would leave something to go on, .after allowing for the decrease in Customs revenue, but if necessary ho would increase the tax or borrow money. He was not against borrowing money for the construction of railways, and for building roads and bridges, but the rest should be done out of revenue. Mr. McAllister then proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the speaker, which was duly carried.