UNITY CONGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1798, 10 July 1913, Page 9

UNITY CONGRESS.

4EIGHTH DAY'S WORK. HON. G. FOWLDS SECEDES. "IRONICAL CHEERS." THE STEADY SOCIALIST MARCH. The Unity Congress resumed its deliberations at St. Peter's Schoolroom yesterday morning, Hon. J. Rigg in the chair. Despite the fact that tho delegates have now been in Wellington for a fortnight, tho schoolroom still presented a crowded appearance, and tho intorest in the proceedings was as keen as at the outset. It was decided that tho various trades departments should meet and select candidates to represent such departments and report same to congress.

Tho result of the ballots for various official positions was as follows:—For president: Mr. W. T. Young, 153 votes; Mr. L. J. Howard, 93 votes. For vico-presl-dent: Mr. J. Dowgray, 117 votes; Mr. W. E. Parry, 93 votes; Mr. M. Fagan, 5G votes; Mr. T.'Bloodwortli, 41 votes; Mr. S. Boreham, 35 votes; Mr. H. Hanton, 14 votes.

Mr. Tregear moved "That the name of the organisation shall be tho Social Democratic Party." He explained tho manner in which tho name has been adopted. The motion was seconded.

Hon. J. T. Paul moved as an amendment that tho name be the Labour Party. The amendment was seconded, but was lost. The name Social Democratic Party was adopted. .

Mr. W. T. Mills moved tho adoption of the Statement of Principles. He explained the various provisions. Ho said that the Statement of Principles set out with tho assertion that the first problem to be solved was to place within tho reach of all of the people equality of economic opportunity. It began with tho statement that tho greatness of a nation depends on the greatness of its people, and proceeded to demonstrate that the greatness of the people depended wholly upon the method of tho control of the means of life. New Zealand had been misled for 20 years by a. meaningless controversy over the freehold and leasehold, and all the time tho workers were being robbed just as effectively under tho ono as the other. Tho question of the class strugglo had been raised, but tho class struggle had been emphasised in New Zealand. In tho Dominion ten thousand people were living on processes of exploitation, and at least half a million were rendering service. They wanted to create a party that would tell tho shirkers and exploiters that Labour intended to fight industrially and politically to put an end to this state of things. (Cheers.)

Mr. Scott Bennett seconded tho resolution. It was a plain declaration of Socialism, and he had always advocated Socialism in this country.' Some had sneered at them when the question of the class struggle had been raised,'but the cheers that had greeted the last speaker -were cncdu,raging. lie contended that those present should not vols for the declaration of principles unless they believed them; but, if they did vote for them, it was a declaration that tho Labour movement was not going to bo concerned with single tax or any other form of taxation, but would fight straight out the battle of Socialism. (Applause.) The motion was carried on the voices.

Objects of the Organisation. 1. To secure employment of our members in preference to non-unionists; ' to maintain a spirit of fraternal sympathy with the workers of this and other countries by assisting ~ them when necessary. .

2. To. use our united efforts to discourage tho contract labour and bonus systems, and as soon as possible to abolish these, believing tho said , systems to be detrimental to the best interests of organised labour., 3. To enable and provido for tho Federation to own, publish, and control a newspaper or newspapers. 4. To ensure to members who aro proved to have been unjustly treated the support of tho Federation.

5. To link up .with the industrial organisations of all other countries for the achievement of international solidarity, and also for more effective .work-ing-class action in tiino of international conflict.

The Ultimate Objective. The objective was defined as "the socialisation of the collectively used means of production, distribution and exchange." Mr. I'. Fraser (Unity Congress Committee) moved tho adoption of tho clause. Somo of his Socialist friends did not altogether approve of tho wording of the clause, but they all agreed that tho proposed objective would definitely state the attitude of 1 the workers and make the position of tho party clear, decided, and in line with the other parties of the world-wide Socialist movements. Mr. Fox (Palmerston North S.P.) seconded' the resolution. Mr. Withy moved an amendment, "that tho 'things which must be monopolised, if not socialised, shall be socialised for tho common good of all rather than monopolised for the private advantage of a few." He was opposed to monopoly of every kind, and held that tho workers should get the full product of their toil. He could not, however, accept the objective as it stood. Why did they not draft their objective so as to exclude people who were prepared to go ninety per cent of the way with them? Mr. Bell seconded the .amendment. Mr. H. A. Campbell said that the amendment was not clear enough for him. He wanted the workers of the countrv to get tho full product of their toil. If the objective was clear, why tinker with it at all? Mr. H. E. Holland said that while in tho United Federation of Labour they had to accept every wage-earner, in the Social Democratic party only those should como in Vrho believed in the objective of tho world-wide working-class movement. Mr. Withy's amendment was capable of too many interpretations. Mr. M. J. Reardon (Wellington) supported the amendment. Mr. M'Brine (Auckland Waterside Workers) supported the objcctivo as it was. Ho thought the objective was directly in lino with what they had adopted in the constitution of tho United Federation of Labour. Tho amendment was lost. Mr. T. M'Brido (Christchurch) moved as an amendment to add tho word "gradual" before the word "Socialisation. Ho believed that tho Socialisation of the means of production, distribution, and exchange must como gradually. These laws had come out of political action, and must be altered or wiped out by political action. To cheokmato the monopolist tlioy required State competition, and. they could only do that by political action. Mr. T. Long (Auckland) seconded tho resolution, and urged the conference to proceed with caution. Considerable discussion followed. The amendment was lost on tho voices.

An amendment was moved by Mr. M'Manus (Uunedin) that the words "collectively used" l>e struck out. The amendment was carried.

The objective was amended ("the Socialisation of the means of production, distribution. and exchange") was adopted, amidst cheers.

Tha Fighting Platform. 1. Proportional representation, the initiative, the referendum, and the recall. 2. The abolition of the country quota; tho election of all Judges by tho people; full civil rights to all public employees; the removal of the Parliamentary disabilities of women. 3. A Right to Work Bill, with minimum wage and maximum hours of six # per day, a weekly day of rest, and a Saturday half-lioliday. i. Reorganisation and extension of tho powers of the Labour Department to . include scientific investigation of mntlers pertaining to the wages of labour and the cost of living, and to publish all findings thereon. 5. The right of unions to register or not to rrsistw without tho lo.w of loral stapdjogj nwflidn.

power to regulate a minimum oil a sliding, scale in ratio with tho riso in tho price of commodities; and protection against tho Croatian of bogus competing organisations of labour. 1 0. Increased taxation of unimproved land values both in town and country, and a graduated incoinc tax, and a corresponding reduction in tariffs on goods not produced in New Zealand, and in railway freights and faros. 7. No further alienation of Crown lands, and tho establishment of homes and of improved farms as going concerns to be within tho roach of nil workers. 8. Tho dircct representation of the workers on any governing boards in all Departments of tho Public Scrvico and of local government authorities. 0. Free and secuJareducaHon from kindergarten to tho University, with compulsory attendance in all primary grades. Several amendments bearing on the platform wcro proposed, but rejected. Mr. Hall (Timaru) and Mr. Payne, M.P., seconded tho addition to Clause !), "All book?? and stationery to be supplied by the State freo of cost." Carried. THE LETTER. "MET WITH IRONICAL CHEERS." Tlio following is a copy of a letter addressed to Hon. Jolm Rigg, M.L.C., Labour Unity Congress, Wellington:— Dear sir,—Tho Labour Unity Congress having adopted for the United Federation of Labour, a constitution and platform which I cannot but regard as distinctly revolutionary in character, and bound to bring disorder to tho cause of Labour, it is absolutely imjiossible for mo to tako part in any political organisation that is in association with it. Respectfully, therefore, I have to announce through you that I- hereby sever my connection with the Labour Unity Congress, and I can only hope that ero long Labour may be more wisely guided than seems to bo the caso to-day. Thanking you for your courtesy. Yours sincerely, GEO. FOWLDS. The letter was received with ironical cheers.