THE LABOUR PARTY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 73, 23 September 1930, Page 10

THE LABOUR PARTY

ITS NATIONAL CAMPAIGN

MEETING AT TRADES HALL

A very largely attended meeting of representatives of the trade unions affiliated to the Labour. Party and of branches of the party in AVellington was held in the- Trades Hall last evening. . The object of the meeting was to initiate and make arrangements for organising the Wellington section of the Labour Party's national campaign.

Mr. P. Eraser, M.P., who presided, said that the meeting was the largest, most, representative,' and most enthusiastic with which they had ever commenced their efforts in Wellington." He was doubly pleased to see such a fine attendance because, in addition to the fact that the political situation was most uncertain, there were increasing signs and portents that a trying time lay ahead of the working people of New Zealand. In Parliament there', -were .indication's, -particularly voiced on thfe Eeform Party benches, that an attack would be levelled before long on the wages and conditions of the workers. Theso expressions of opinion were sometimes direct, as, for instance, the statement that wages on relief works should be reduced, and were sometimes bound up with platitudes about the necessity for reducing the cost om production. . In either case the meaning was only too clear. In Australia, in spite of the stand taken by the Commonwealth Labour Government, determined efforts were being made to reduce wages, increase hours, and generally undermine working conditions, '.. which had been won by years of long 'effort and; struggle. A similar movement was being inaugurated here and must be resisted by every bunco of energy Labour could muster. The trade union organisations could be depended on to do their utmost iv this direction,' through the Arbitration Court and in their conferences with employers concerning industrial agreements. In addition, the working people, who stood to lose a tremendous amount if - wage-reducing '- attempts were successful, must rally in their thousands round the Labour P/rt'y and help it to win a great victory at the next General Election. He had no idea when the General Election. \ would come, for the political situation was quite uncertain. On. tw.o occasions, recently when, tho LabourvParty challenged the policy of the Government the Eeform Party rallied to the Government's support. WEfether the General Election came soo- or at the normal period of three years, the Labour Party must be thoroughly and efficiently equipped to enter the political fray. It could not be denied that tho Dominion was passing through a difficult period owing to the reduced prices for primary products in the world's markets, but the surest way to make the '.present depression still ■ more depressed was to start reducing wages. .An upon the standard ol living of the mass of the people, an effort to reduce their purchasing power would be economic'imbecility, because siich a course would inevitably make the position much worse by directly reducing trade. As there was a grave time ahead for the workers of the Dominion, he was pleased to see such a fine meeting that evening, because it was evidence of the fact that the Labour, movement would meet the impending; situation united and confident. ! , '

Among the other speakers who addressed the meeting and who generally supported Mr. Eraser's point* of view were Mr. B. Semple, M.P.y Mr. E, M'Keen, M.P., Mrs. :Snow, Mrs. Bromley,' Mr. A. Parlane] Mr. F. Cornwall (secretary Trades and Labour Council), Mr.. W. Atkinson, Mr. T. Brindle (Labour candidate for Wellington Suburbs), Mr., W. Bromley (president Trades and Labour Council), Mr. J. Tucker, J.P., Mr. Moore, Mr. Connell, and Mr. J. Thorn (editor of "New Zealand Worker," and Labour candidate for Otaki).

A resolution constituting all present a committee to further Labour's national campaign in the Wellington area was passed unanimously, and a programme of projected activities was approved. - '