FIGHTING PLATFORM.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1352, 1 February 1912, Page 5

FIGHTING PLATFORM.

AUSTBALIAN POLITICAL LEAGUE. By Teleerapa-Prose AssocUtlon-OoDyrleM , Sydney, January 31. Statements made at tho Labour Conference that,,tho,.Stato Government, is. paying tho engineers in one of its boats lower wages thsin the recognised union rates, led to strong protests being made, and a resolution was carried to the effect that when the Government enters into competition with private enterprise in shipping it should pay the ruling rate. Tho conference adopted tho planlts of the fighting platform in tho following order:—Constitutional reform (including tho abolition of tho Legislative Council and substituting therefor the initiative and referendum), abolition of the office of Stato Governor, effective land settlement (embracing the cessation of the sale of Crown lands), State bauk and taxation of land values, nationalisation of health (providing free medical and nursing services, State maintenance of hospitals, and supervision of dangerous and unhealthy occupations), equitable industrial laws, with regulation of the hours of labour and minimum wage.

Plank 5 favours free secondary, technical, and university education, and free school material, and plank G tho establishment of State ironworks.

A MINISTER'S REPLY. (Rec. January 31, 9.15 p.m.) Sydney, January 31. Mr. Griffiths, Minister for Works, replying to the Labour Conference criticism that the Government took a steamer over and continued paying the engineer the same wages as before, states that no request was mado for nn increase. The Engineers' Union was to blame for not bringing the matter under the notice of the Government.