LABOUR CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 742, 15 February 1910, Page 5

LABOUR CONFERENCE.

CHILDREN'S MEALS. i., PAYMENT :OF /PARLIAMENTARY; MEMBERS. By Telegraph—Presa London, February 13 Tho Labour Conference at/Newport. has closed. Among many bnefly-disoussed. motions, tho following wore carried j-S :■/.-Vi> - That any 'child certified to' be badly nourished should be compelled to attend the. school meals.' : That such -children'• should also be fed during the holidays. ; ;->v .-J ;./:'V- ■V- ■ • // That it-.bo. obligatory on local educa-tion-authorities., to; provide schools: wit. efficient baths.-. • ' •' ' '.V:. ■ ■ Resolutions were also carried in 1 favour of tho . nationalfeatioii'rof . railways waterways,., and - against'..forms' I of : militarism.{ •.' The conference voted'-' Labour M.P.'s -£600 for tho 1908 Session,' and- JS3O each member _ for; the autumn of 1009.'' Ordinary parliamentary maintenance cost'i6l23. The: year's /subscriptions . to 'the'parliamentary fund .totalled .£13,826, arid the .balance in-hand is .fi11,755. ,' - : ,LABOUR- PLEDGE.—THE CASE OF MR, R. BELL. '"The retirement of Mr. Richard Bell .from the', secretaryship :of .-' the-." Amalgamated (society of Railway Servants is' a sign of the times,";:" writes' an , English paper. The old type- of . Labour.-leader,' who dominated his union .by executive abihty,: and .who. ■ kept • the extremists under/ olose control, is ? being:'swept on" one. side./--The leader 'of the .'engineers had to retire from office a few months ago becauso he would . not .submit to dictation by minor factions;' the same ! -has V now happened ..to .-Mr; . Bell.;/ A section:- of younger -men .is .acquiring control of Labour / that is resolved to have united political action and direct government by the. majority:-. The.;miners-are ■ steadily eliminating their .representatives; who will - not .submit to. this, and; other ■ unions -are : doing the:sam'e. vThe man ,who wishes to a Labour representative to-day must take the pledge of obediencc to the caucus,the Labour. Representation v Committee, or he will be driven out. Mr John Burns has escaped this by throwing ;himseir : in with the Liberals f. but Mr. Burns is a man of commanding genius who can; cut out his own path. Many attempts, were 1 made in past -years; to : consoliduto tho forces of' 1 Labour.,- -.They failed becauso of lack :of--.system./• The present movement has progressed; slowly and. steadily, for several- / years. ..It :-.is .largely based:on the example of tho Australian Labour Parties, and it- bids fair tb 'succoed.! Tho real organiser, strangely enough, ■ is, not; a working, man,- but; a young Scot, who . came to' London a few' yeais since. : to mto/ his way. in ',journa» lism, Mr. James Ramsay/MaeDonald. -In the Labour world it is. confidently anticipated that tine day Mr. Mac Donald will be Prime. Minister. ? . V -,