AIMS OF LABOUR PARTY

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1929, Page 9

AIMS OF LABOUR PARTY

SOCIALIST COMMONWEALTH “SUCCESS NOT SPOILING US” PLANS NOT WATERED DOWN By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Australian Press Association. London, Sept. 30. “We meet in high spirits. The Labour Party and the Government are doing well and success is not spoiling us,” said Mr. Herbert Morrison, Minister of Transport, in his presidential address .-at the conference of the Labour Party at Brighton. “We refuse to water down x our final objectives,” he continued. "The party’s purpose is as much as ever the conquest of our country for the people of our country and the conquest of the world for the workers of the world. Wo aim at a new society, the Socialist commonwealth. It is a source of strength that the British Labour Party is so closely bound up with trades unionism.” British Official Wireless. .Rugby, Sept. 30. Widespread interest has been aroused in regard to the annual meeting of the Labour Party which opened this morning at Brighton under the presidency of Mr. Herbert Morrison, Minister of Transport. Some 700 delegates attended. The present conference will, it is believed, mark an important change in the character of these annual gatherings. In the opinion of Mr. Morrison, as expressed in an interview, the conference will tend increasingly to be a deliberative body, devoting itself to consider the discussion of a few big and important issues. These debates will be initiated during the next few days by declarations of Ministers. Mr. Morrison’s address opens a wide field for discussion to-day, and to-mor-row Mr. J. H. Thomas will outline his employment policy. The Foreign Secretary, Mr. A. Henderson, will review- the whole international field on Wednesday, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. P. Snowden, will state his financial policy on Thursday. Apart from these discussions the conference will be mainly occupied with consideration of proposed alterations to the constitution, the annual report, and party finance. Changes in the constitution, are put forward by the Exchequer with a view to meeting the growth of the party and they have been under discussion several weeks by affiliated organisations. Some keen debates are likely to arise on certain of the proposals in regard to what is the most effective instrument for carrying on the work of the party in the country and in the House of Commons. Mr. Morrison in his presidential speech reminded the conference that he addressed it in his capacity as president and not as a member of the Government. It was not . without justification that they regarded the Labour Party as a miracle of politics. Its progress in the relatively short period of 30 years was the outstanding romance zf. public affairs. When they recalled the attitude of people to Labour principles in the early days of Keir Hardie, they might well marvel at the change that has come about. The achievements of the Labour Party in the sphere of foreign politics had already made history in regard to Mr. Snowden at The Hague, the evacuation of the Rhine and the steps taken to secure a treaty with Egypt. Referring to the social record of the Government, he mentioned that some oustanding anomalies of the Widows’ Pension Act would be dealt with in a Bill to be introduced early in November, and the whole pensions' position would be overhauled. Plans to give effect to the Government’s general policy on housing, slum clearance, education, and pensions would be presented during the coming months.

“The trade unions,” said Mr. Morrison, "have not only contributed substantially to the party finances, they have performed valuable political education work among their millions of members. It is a source of strength and not of weakness that the British Labour Party is so closely bound up with trade unionism.” Referring to the success of the Government in its foreign policy, Mr. Morrison said Mr, Snowden’s great success at The Hague had been acclaimed by the whole nation, and, after eleven long years, the troops of-Britain, Prance and Belgium were leaving the Rhine. One of the most intractable of all the British problems of foreign policy, that of relations with Egypt, was on the way to a happy solution through Mr. Henderson’s genius for doing the right thing with resourcefulness and courage. In regard to Russia the Government, he hoped, would be in a position when Parliament met to announce, the re-es-tablishment of British relations with Russia. Regarding home affairs, Mr. Morrison said: "In these affairs no less than in international affairs, the Labour Government has taken the first important etep in putting into operation the policy to which it is pledged. It is busily engaged in translating into legislative and administrative detail more immediately the many measures of industrial and social reorganisation necessary to raise the standard of the material and intellectual life of the community. Although handicapped by its minority position the reality of which handicap must always be kept in mind, nothing can be done which the opposition parties are not in a position to support.” With regard to the nation’s industrial equipment, Mr. Morrison said that some of the most important industries had undoubtedly lagged seriously behind our foreign rivals. The present stage was necessarily one of inquiry. Authoritative committees had been appointed to investigate the iron and steel and cotton industries, while a form of inquiry into the fishing industries was under consideration. The Government s plans on the coal industry as a whole were also in course of preparation. Mr. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty, said that when the Government camo into office they found every available fund raided and every kind of financial difficulty placed in the .way of Mr. Snowden’s beneficent intentions. They also had to face difficulties due to the crisis in the city. As regarded naval disarmament, it must not bo thought the present pro-

posals constituted the British Government’s last words on the matter. Sir Oswald Mosley said tho decision to increase the bank rate would inevitably increase the difficulties of unemployment. ■ Under the present conditions it was within the power of the Bank bf England to put two men out of employment for every man the Government put in. That was the situation the Government had to face. Otherwise they would be confronted with a delimma which miast destroy them.