LABOUR CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1409, 9 April 1912, Page 6

LABOUR CONFERENCE.

PROCEEDINGS TO DATE. •Tho Labour delegates, who are in Wellington to attend the conference, which opened 011 Saturday, sat iill day yosterdny giving further consideration to the "unity proposals," The Hon. J. T. Paul (Dnnedin) presided. Tho whole of yesterday's proceedings in committee, the delegates sitting till a late hour at night. This morning the conference will continuo for tlie transaction of some important 'business. ' Political Air,ns—The Labour Platform. • ( The National Administrative Council of. tho Now Zealand Labour Party, in the.course of its report to be presented to tho conference to-day, states:—"Your con.ncil regrets 'the loss of Mr. 1). M'LarenV.services as M.P. for Wellington East, .whoscr seat weni'; from Labour on a mero liandfu.l of v<jti;s.. The two members of bur par.ty who secured election, Messrs. Jlindmaivh, Sor Wellington South, and Veitch, tW {'Wangamii, wo heartily conf: ratulate. Ami wo express tho hope that fessrs. j. Robertson (Otaki) and Payne (Grey Lynn) will come into our party, as ' the - four liavo ' expressed their intention of noting as \a distinct Labour group in •Parliament. \With solid co-ojieratioii by next election ivo' should see a full Parliamentary Labour 'jparty created and working fully on tho .independent lines of our 'constitution. . . • "ho work of this .year is such as fc' fill us with confidence .with respect to tho progress our party can jnalco during the coining year. The present political situation that every branch of oi lr party should keep fully alert and activ o all the time, lour council lias endeavoured throughout its term of office to adm inistcr the affairs of tho party with strict impartiality and careful regard for ' the rights of all our branches and inci nbers. A\ 0 liavo carried out the instructions of tho conference strictly, and iiave maintained throughout the policy cf our party as that of entire independence of tho other apolitical parties of the .Dominion. We liave sought to work earnestly for solidarity in our Labour movenient, yeal constructive merit in our undertakings, and to maintain the national character of our paTty, in order to prepare -W'j" for the greater responsibilities that \it will require to bear with advance made." The remits sent up for discission lnslude the following:— ' That the power of Tecall by tig electors }>e added to the platform. No Labour M.P. shall accept v a porttolio in any Ministry other a Labour Ministry. Candidates must maintain the constitution and appear before their coustitu- | encies under the title of Labour candi- \ dates only, abstain strictly from identifying themselves with or promoting the interests of any other party, and accept the responsibilities established by Parliamentary practice. • The abolition of tho written pledge required to be given by candidates at elections on tho ground that it has no legal lor binding effect, and is therefore valueless, and that it casts a reflection upon candidates' integrity, and is therefore 'objectionable. That legislation bo promoted for securing the funds of unions of workers (whether registered under tho Arbitration Act or not) on ths lines of the recent English legislation., | Sawmill'and Timber Workers, ; This morning at 10 o'clock tho Federated Sawmill and Timber Workers mil meet in conference at .the Trades Hall. She following delegates will be in attond'anca :—Auckland—J. C. Drew, E. Phe'lan; Wellington—Jos. Lyons and J. Wallace; Canterbury—C. F. Meyer, and J. C. Ralph; South Canterbury—lVed. BickOtago—C. Lorimer, A. 11. Humphries,•. Southland—T. O'Byrne and J. Als'iveiler. , Questions that will be considered at the •conference include a 4i-hour week for all workers; additional import duty on Oregon pin o under tho sizo of l'Z x 12, or its equivalent, irrespective of length; dele- ■ tion of clauses 0 and 10 of tho Industrial .Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act, 1908; a Dominion award; uniform set of', rules;. unity scheme; Saturday half-holiday; daylight saving; _ amendment to tho Workers'.Compensation Act; how best to deal with . non-unionists; eteps to be taken to registor the federation under the Arbitration Act and various other matters of more or less importance.