FEDERAL POLITICS

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13644, 11 July 1908, Page 5

FEDERAL POLITICS

LABOUR; PARTY'S POLICY. PJress Association—Bv Telegraph-Copyright . BRISBANE; July 10. The Labour Conference determined that the. Federal Labour Parly should not enter into an alliance with any other party. : A proposal that the . caucus should be given, the Tight of appointing a i Labour' Ministry in the event of the party coming .into power was adopted. The demand for the nationalisation ■ of the iron-industry was reaffirmed after , a lengthy, Rebate. A . compromise was reached, on - the: question of. defence, by the division of the plank into two, the first plank providing for, a citizen defence force, with, compulsory military training and an Australian-owned and controlled navy; the second that, military and naval expenditure ba allotted from direct taxation. Other , resolutions favoured the adoption >of penny postage throughout the Commonwealth and the reenaction- of excise- duties ae taxation measures to replace ,tlle quashed new protection. It. was decided that the next conference be held in Ilobart. in 1910.

THE NEW PROTECTION". • - - MELBOURNE, July 10. Mr Deakin, in reply-to a Labour member's inquiry,' said that the Government was still pledged to give effect' to the new protection. Amongst _ the means likely to be . adopted was a referendum, -with a view to giving the ■ Federation wider powers -of - an. "industrial character. r