LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24904, 18 June 1946, Page 3

LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE

need for production EMPHASISED

SECRETARY’S REPORT

(p.A.) WELLINGTON, June 17. “To-day’s greatest problem is production—for our own needs and for the needs of starving millions,” said Mr M. Moohan, national secretary of the Labour Party, in the report of the national executive presented y at the party conference to-day. Zealand workers on farms, in mines, factories, and workshops have already accomplished much, but the future standard of our living is so dependent on our ability to keep the production of all consumer goods at a high level that it would. be a 'great tragedy if workers should fail at any time to carry out their work for the benefit of all,” he said. “Humanity demands that we shall not go back to the bad old days, and that demand can only be met by the united efforts of the supporters of the Labour mover ment to produce to the limit that they and others might have their just share of the world’s goods.”

Loyalty to Labour The president (Mr James Roberts) spoke of the period of the Tory Government as an economic. nightmare bow past, but said the work of the Labour Government was not yet over. What was needed was loyalty to the Labour movement and its objective co-operative comradeship within the industrial and political organisations of Labour, and an intensive propagartda and educative campaign to inform the people of the great work the Labour Government had done and its plans for the future. Money must be provided for this campaign. Reports indicated that money power was willing to expend large sums in support of the National Party. “I have heard many good ■’men condemn these wealthy corporations and associations for donating money to the opponents of the Labour movement, but I see no reason for this condemnation,” continued Mr Roberts. “Wealth and privilege have expended large sums the years down in keeping in subjection the people who render the service. It has paid them to do so, and they will, on this occasion spend money freely to turn back the wheel of progress which they can only do by returning a majority of men to Parliament who will attempt to repeat the reactionary political cycle in a similar way as was done after the grand period of social and humanitarian legislation of the Ballance and Seddon Governments. •We must not let that happen again.” . Referring to the electoral boundary changes, Mr Roberts said that for the first time there was a real democratic representation of one man, one vote, and one vote, one value.