LABOUR'S PEACE AIMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 100, 22 January 1919, Page 4

LABOUR'S PEACE AIMS

BRITISH EXECUTIVE'S REPORT

1 TWENTY REFORM DEMANDS i ■ . . Tho following is the text of the British Labour Party Executive's report, drawn up just before the armistice.Was signed:— '..■.'". International. Now that peace is at hand, the Labour Party feels justified in putting forward its demand that the promise made when its members joined the last Coalition Government in December, . 1916, that Labour should have representation -lit-tile official Peace Congress, should be redeemed. It reaffirms the declaration of the Inter-Allied Labour and Socialist Conferences of February and September, 1918, that because of their rer sponso in defence of the principles of freedom the peoples' have earned the right to wipe put all vestiges of the old idea that the. G'ottuhment belongs 10 or constitutes "a governing class." In determining issue.-; that will vitally affect the lives and welfaro of millions of wage-earnors, justice requires that they should' have direct representation in the conferences authorised to; make such decisions.. ..... In common with the other Labour and- Socialist organisations in the .Allied •countries, Labour also, declared in. favour of a World Labour Congress at the conclusion of hostilities with a view;to the foundations of an effective League .of; Nations being laid'upon ,a gemime democratic basis, and also in view, of the need for an international agreement for the enforcement in all countries of uniform legislation on ■ factory conditions, maximum working hou: - s,, • the prevention' of sweating and unhealthy trades, and similar industrial reforms;

' The Executive Committee, itherefore, recommend fhat/tlie' "Emergency .Conference ' should adopt the following, resolution:— ' " .'-' ;

"That this ■ Special Emergency Conference of the Labour Party reaffirms the demand of the Inter-Allied Conferences of February and September, 1918- -'

"(1) That, in the official.delegations from each of.the belligerent conritrias 'which formulafe the- Peace Treaty, the workers .should have direct official; iepresentatiori..

-. f(<X\ Tliat a World Labour Congress should be held at the, same 'time, and' place the Peace Conferrtiice that will formulate the; Peace Treaty closing the war. - ' ' :

"(3) That this conference demands that tho'-Government, should' afford facilities for the'fulfilment of the above proposals." .-..,.'•

National Reconstruction. | ■ Tho Labour. Party protests., against any patching up. of the old economic order. It.declines'to go back to the conditions of penury and- starvation which.were-all that society, used /to allow to millions of workers.. It stands for such a systematic reconstruction' of industrial and social relations aa will give to.the" workers',by hand or by brain the full fruits of their labour. The Labour Party demands the wide measures of rofbrm that are described in "Laliour and the New Social Order," which include:— 1. A jijst and generous provision for the discharged soldiers" and sailors! apart from either- charity or the-Poor Law, alike in respect of pensions/ medical and surgical-treatment, ■ reinstate-', merit.in civil employment, at trade union rates of .wage's, - and complete security! against involuntary unemployment. ■ • '■ ■ ''■•;■

- 2. Full provision for the civil war workers to be discharged on tho/con-' elusion of the war, and .others, whom' the. dislocation. of iridustry. will throw qut ; of work, including adequatb .arranKeriients lor placing, jn r new situations ns soon as possible and riiaiiitenance during involuntary , unemployment. '■''■'.''

.3..The complete fulfilment of the nation's pledge to the trade unionists that they, should bo unconditionally reinstated in respect of the trade union conditions and workshop .customs' , abro-. gated, in the public interest- or,-else that the Government should submit for. their acceptance measures calculated'to achieve the same ends. ".

. 4. The complete restoration of freedom of speech, publication,'; travel, residence,' arid' choico of occupation,' and the abolition of all compulsory military service.

5. The completion of political democracy by adult suffrage, equal rights of voting for both sexes, and .the abolition_of. any Second Chamber j>resumirig. to limit or control the supremacy of the popularly elected Houso of .'Commons. : ■ , ~

6. The immediate application: to Ire-, land of the fullest possible measure of Homo Rule. ' .

' 7. l'rovision for the ' greatly increased' efficiency of the .Legislature by the devolution of English; Scottish,, and Welsh business to separate locallegislatures united in a Federal Parliament.

8. The retention by the' State of the railways and canals, the expropriation of the shareholders on equitable terms, and the organisation under public control, of a national system of transport worked for exclusively public objects. 9. The retention, by the State, of the coal and iron mines, the expropriation' of the present owners on equitable terms, and the organisation by: the National Government and the.local authorities ofj tho'supply of coal as a public service.

10. The provision and management by the Government itself, in conjunction with the local authorities,- of' the proposed gigantic super-power stations by which electricity can be provided at the lowest possible, cost, without toll to the capitalist companies,* for • both industrial and domestic purposes.

11. The effective maintenance of. the standard of lifo.for tho whole nation by the suitable amendment and extension of the Factories, Mines, Trado Boards, and similar Acts.

12. The revision of the rates, ago for eligibility, and conditions of oldage pe.nio.n6, so as to make the statutory pension an absolute right of every person of pensionable age.

. 13. The abolition of the Poor Law and tho merging of its present services in those already rendered'by the directly elected local authorities to tho children, the sick and infirm .(including maternity and infancy), the mentally defective, the aged, aiid the ablebodied unemployed, 'stimulated, aided, and controlled by an effective Ministry of Health, whilst suitable measures for the prevention of . unemployment, and the securing of situations for the unemployed aro taken by a Ministry of Employment. 'i

14. The extension of the powers of county, borough, district, and parish councils, alike in respect • of tho acquisition' of land, the reform of tho systom of assessment and rating, the obtaining of additional grants-in-aid, and freedom to undertake all tho services desired by their constituents, together with tho immediate resumption of local elections with proportional representation. 15. The prompt carrying through bf a comprehensive national measure of. housing, tho local authorities being everywhere required, with grants-in-aid sufficient \o prevent any charge on tho rates, to make good the whole of the existing shortage in well-planned, wollImilt, commodious, and healthy hom<js for the entiro population. ' 16. The reorganisation of agriculture and rural life by the resumption by the State of its ownership of the land,, and its use ns State farms, small holdings, and allotments, or co-operative enterprises, in such a way as" to secure the greatest possible production, not of game or of rent, but of tho people's

food, together with standard wages for all the workers employed, adequate'security- for tho farmer's enterprise, healthy dwellings for all' tho country population, and the development of village life and civilisation. 17. A national system of education, free and effectively, open to all persons, irrespective of their means, from the nursery school to the university; based on the principle of extending to persons of all ages, without distinction of class or wealth, and without any taint of militarism, genuine opportunities for tho ■most effective education on a broad and •liberal basis, and tho provision for teachers of all kinds and grades of salaries, pensions, training, and opportunities of 1 advancement commensurate with the high social {importance of their calling. -, ;

18. The nationalisation of life assurance, with equitable compensation to the shareholders and. complete provision for all persons now employed, in order both to place beyond doubt tho security of the existing policies and to supersede the present costly and objectionable system of industrial life assurance bv a universal provision of funeral benefit', free from the weekly house-to-house collection of the people's pence. , 19. Tho protection of the public against"th 9 "monev trust," new rcoidly being formed through the banking amalgamations, 'by means of the development of the Post Office Savings Bank into a universal national banking system, carried on without capitalist control, • and the' nationalisation; with equitable; compensation to tho shareholders, of the' banking companies to be absorbed.

20. The most strenuous resistance to any attempt to saddle the cost of the war and the National Debt upon the consumers'by any system of taxation of food or commodities of ■ popular consumption, or by Customs or Excise du'ties ' on anything but luxuries, or by any special taxation of- co-operative i societies or of wages. The Labour Party would have the nation pay its way by -adjusting taxation strictly according i tb'the ability to bear it. This requires tho raising of the' exemption limit, a much steeper and increase of the super-tax, the taking of unearned increment by the taxation of land values,,the doubling or treblirit nf tV death duties, niid the "conscription- of ljivealt.li.". . This means, the substitution for alnrge'p'art of the pxistiif: in-come-tax of a carefully graduated capital tax, exempting possessions under £1000 and taxing very lightly those Hinder £5000. ■