LABOUR PARTY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3199, 25 September 1917, Page 8

LABOUR PARTY

BRANCH aWMBD AT NEWTOWN. A puttie meeting under the auspices of tne Wellington Labour Representation Committee was held in St. Thomas's Hall; Newtown, laet night. Mr. W. Maddison was in the chair. The attendance -was moderate. The chairman said that the object of the meeting was to form a branch of the Now Zealand Labour Party in Newtown. More support was needed for the Labour movement. The loaders of Labour, could not achieve much unless ' they had .the mass of the workers behind them, and it was the duty of every working man and woman to get into the party and help to mould its policy and direct its actions. Mr. E. Kennedy, secretary of the Labour Representation Committee, explained the nature of the organisation it was proposed to form, and aeked all workers to'come into the party and do their share. . j Mrs. Snow urged that all working ' women should enrol in the Labour Party and make use of the political power that rested in'their hands. The women would be a majority of the voters at the next general election. . ■ Mr. P. C. Webb, M.P., said it ought"not to be necessary to appeal to working men and women to organise. ■ The effect of leaving the government of countries to the privileged few was plain to eee all over the world. ThiW.ime had arrived for the workers to extend their organisation to every corner of New Zealand. Labour, and Labour alone, wuld govern the country; Labour, and Labour alone, could govern the world that Labour made. There muet be no quarter between the workers and the powers that were robbing the people. The time had come for Labour to demand justice, and to insist upon i owning and controlling the country in the interests of Labour. Mr. H. E. Holland said if the experiences of the last five yearn had not taught the workers Ihe need for organisation, there would be no-hope for the Labour movement. The workers must organise to control the political machine. There ! was reason to believe that there would be a general election in New Zealand during the next six months. If an eler , -' tion came and the workers were properly organised, they couild win several of tha Wellington seats. Steps were going to be taken to form branches of the Labour Party throughout the city. The following motion was carried vnanimously: "That this meeting of Newtown citizens endorses the principles and policy of the New Zealand Labour Party, and approves of tho formation of a branch of tho party." At the close of the meeting some iof those present enrolled a$ members of the branch.