DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 718, 18 January 1910, Page 7

DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE

ADDRESS BY MR. M'LAREN, M.P. : " A largo crowd assembled in Tennyson Street, Napier, on Saturday evening to hoar an . audress, from Mr. D, ji'Laren, M.P., who'i'is" engaged -in organisation work iii'tlio Haste's'Bay ; disthot. '7 .- .Mr. E. T. Kvans, ii\ ' ; openipg tie pro* ceedings, said , that of ~ the- main objects'; of th'o ledputj" -yyhioh was "being formed, and" which' would' doubtless" ox-, tend throughput, the country,' to in-, crease the purchasing power ,of wages. ' A Mr, M'LarenV who. spoke for'about an hour, said that they could not, advjinco ■yrages without .'qiakiug - a change' in the economic conditions; ■' . Speaking of his mission, Mr,, M'La'ren said; that what Labour needed: was. -a: fair amount' 'of direct representation in Parliament."'.they were a large .majority- of the .jwople,'and therefore, shoijld have a majority- in Parliament. If they had only ten Labour men in'the House it would make a great difference in the kind of measures passed. Therefore all sections of Labour- should join the league. . (A -voice: "You cannot do anything without'leaders.") " Why rely on headers?, rotorted" the. speaker. Why not rely on themselves? . It they wanted reforms passed .'they .must 'not" expect .other men tu do. the work for them: they must ris». up :and . do it themselves. •They needed • a/ inanly scltVreliancc. lot them all' be" -up. 'and doing, and do their best, and the. league would bp-a great success..! It was not' being formed in iho interests of manual'labourers merely, but in .'the interests of. the. mental .workers, and of . the" whole, working part of tho nation. It was not true, as some contended, that tlisi interests of town mid country porkers were not 'Identical. .K>. Democratic League would, oxist: as.much for. "the benefit'of'country as Df town workers. Committees had been formed in Hastings and - Napier, and those committees -would immediately, take action to bring into- existence''a strong' league. in tho Hnwke's liay district. '. A vote of thanks was paswd to Mr. 31'Lareii for his address.. ....... is stated, that the. organisation work will' be pushed forward'in. both islands, and that a.definite programme will presently bo issued by the leaEuo - •