Some "Choice" Remits For Labour Conference

Chronicle (Levin), 15 March 1948, Page 7

Some "Choice" Remits For Labour Conference

WELLINGTON, March 14. It is reported that there wiil be some very ehoice offerings when the N ew Zealand Labour Party liolds its annual conference in Dunedin at the beginning of May. Since the' last annual conference, . held in Wellington, branches and aftiliations have been busiiy engaged ' 111 preparing proposals for eonsideratibh oy the conf erenee — that it is to say, ideas beyond the hardy annuals. Be ports declare that they have really excelled themselves on this oceasion. One suggestion fo'r discussion is that, before each election, candidates fo'r Parliament should be required to submit to a medical examinatjon. While this news is bound to be greeted with mixed emotions, the outlook for politicians . is not altogetnei gj'im. There is a suggestion that tben salaries should be increased to £2000 a year. This will probably eause loud eries ot approval, in soifte places, but the enthusiasm will surely be. conditioned by another suggestion' to revise the pensions plan for members of Parliament. These carping notions simply will oocur. Another idea is that new aspirants for Parliament should come under an age limit. For the Dunedin conference, it seems that the Labour Party will turn, for the nonce, from eonventional demands for inquiries into the Press and will enter a novel realm of Lhought. • Reports have it that the conference will be asked to consider a proposai that the Government should take. over all daily newspapers in New Zealand. ' There 's nothing like a bold .stroke, according to this idea; if there must be a party Press, have it universal and exclusive. ! Con.siderable variations of the same theme pccur, however, in suggestions that one newspaper in each New Zealand city should be tiaken over by the (Joveniment, and that newspapers should be forced to provide adequate space to the Government to answer any published material.