THE LABOUR CONFERENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 20139, 2 April 1929, Page 8

THE LABOUR CONFERENCE.

The annual conference of tlic New Zealand Labour Party is now taking place in Wellington behind closed doors, as has been the custom of late years. Probably one of the important decisions that will be taken will be Labour’s attitude towards the present Government, lb was with Labour's help that the United Party came into power. Should it now bo decided that such, support bo withdrawn there would appear to be no alternative to a dissolution, unless the Reform Party decided to give sufficient help to Sir Joseph Ward to enable him to carry on. From the reports of Hie Labour Coltferenee supplied to the Press, it is evident chat a strong challenge is being issued to the Government on. ono plank of its platform—the minimum of State in tor fere nee in business. Already the conference has affirmed “ that the wise and efficient administration of the public services of the dominion will give a better return to the community than the same type of service under private enterprise, and pledges the party to oppose all efforts which may be made to retard or handicap local body or State organisations which are providing services or supplying goods at less cost than they have been supplied or can be supplied by the private trader.” This resolution is a direct enough avowal of lixed policy, though in point of emphasis it may fall short of the declaration of a few weeks ago by the gentleman who presides over the Labour Conference from to-day onwards. It will be remembered that the Rev. J, K. Archer, speaking in his capacity of Mayor of Christchurch, urged the absolute destruction of pri-

vate Capitalism as tlio only true remedy [or, the economic troubles of to-day. Everything, he maintained, should be held in common and operated in common for tho benefit of the community. He described private Capitalism, private enterprise, and private competition as the root of the world’s evil. Undoubtedly among those evils is unemployment. Tho New Zealand Labour Party has given the Government an absurdly inadequate trial in dealing with this problem, and’ has pronounced a premature verdict. Tho Labour Party postulates that the provision of work for all who -want, it and the establishment of an unemployed insurance scheme are an integral furgiion of the Government. Nothing practica 1 is said of how the Government is to provide the necessary finance. As it is, the financial year which has just ended is understood to show a deficit. Sir Joseph Ward’s conception of the right way to deal with unemployment is that the Government’s duly consists chiefly in stimulating such conditions as shall create legitimate and permanent employment. Among those conditions arc accessibility to the land. It is, however, beginning to bo regarded as doubtful by students of economics in Britain whether the prime cause of unemployment there and in other parts of the Empire is not tho currency donation which was inaugurated in April, ]925, with the rest oration of tho gold standard. Tho trend of the evidence collected in ail countries and all ages is that 'where tho currency has been contracted trade lias suffered, and where it has been expanded solely for tho purpose of assisting trade and industry there has been prosperity.

M’osgicl and Taierl residents arc combining to raise money by a produce sale in aid ol Poppy Day funds. A eonvass of the Taieri will be commenced this week. Arrangements have been jnado for the local lorries to collect the produce and deliver it at Dunedin, where the sale will be held in tho Early Settlers’ Hall on April 19. The arrangements have _ been made under tho care of the chairman of tho Taieri County Council and the mayor of Mosgicl.

.Side- by side stood two men in the Police Court this morning who. according to their own evidence, had met last night for the first time in fifteen years. However, so exuberant was their greeting on this occasion that the constables who went to the scene of tho reunion in Maelaggan street had no hesitation in arresting them tor lighting. And so it came about that the two Spartan pals, Eric Arthur Duff and James Francis Moore, appeared in court this morning before Mr H. E. Moller and Mr R. Ferguson, J.P., in answer to a charge of this nature. They pleaded not guilty, and after police evidence had been given to the effect that in tho presence of a number of interested spectators, a good open Donnybrook bad taken place at about G.2U, the defendants said that the exchange of blows was just a bit of fun. They were friends who bad not met for fifteen years. The happy meeting cost them_£2 each, in default seven days’ imprisonment. At the same sitting of the court a first offender for drunkenness was fined 12s 6d, in default forty-eight hours’ imprisonment.

Although tho Bank of Now Zealand premises at Opotiki aro opposite the police station a daring attempt was made to rob the bank yesterday. It being a holiday no one was on tho premises, ami when the manager’s son returned at 4.31) p.m. he found the place open, and explosives fitted into the strong room door. The detonator had not been lit, and tho indications were that the robbers were disturbed.— Press Association.

Warehouses, banks, and insurance offices in' Dunedin remained closed today, but the shops reopened, and most manual workers got going again.

Five assistants in the Dunedin Athemenm are now needed to keep pace with the increasing business that rewards the management tor its expenditure on reorganisation and general maintenance.

The Easter Monday tram traffic in Dunedin realised £435, or £1 more than on- the eorres.n-oiuiing dale last year. The public have every reason to bo grateful to the management and the men for tho efficient service rendered during tho holidays now ending.

W. J. Heyting was refused admission as a solicitor by tho Full Court last year on the ground that ho was of Dutch parentage and was not naturalised. Heyting did not wish to become naturalised in New Zealand, and as lie challenged the validity of the Act «f 1923, then in force, a, new Act was passed bringing tho New Zealand law into uniformity with the Imperial Act and removing tho clauses to which Heyting took exception. Thereupon be became naturalised, and has now been admitted as a solicitor.—Welling* ton Press Association telegram.

A New Plymouth Association message states that the Aratapn, which went ashore in attempting to enter Waits ra on Saturday, is still aground, and apparently undamaged. There is little hope of refloating her till spring tides. Some coal was unloaded at low tide.

Holiday-makers came back to Dunedin in legions by last evening’s trains, the ono arriving trom Central Otago at 5.23 brought 400; the 5.28 trom Owaka, 250; the 0.23 from Core, SUU; the 6.53 from Invercargill, 000; the 7.17 seaside train discharged 400; the 7.49 from Central Otago. 150, the 8.11 from Oarnnru, 500; the 8,50 from Balclutha, 200; the 8.54 from Christchurch, 640. The outward loading last night was also heavy. Tho 4.45 to Invercargill carried 600, and the 10.20 to Christchurch 250. This morning 300 landed at Dunedin from Christchurch by the night express, and _4SU booked at Christchurch by the train due here at 4.45. As to the outward trains this morning, the 8.35 a.m. to Gore carried 250; the 8.40 a.ii). to Christchurch 220; the 9.0 a.m. to Invercargill 200; the 11.34 a.m. to Christchurch 400. Heavy traffic is anticipated again this evening.

The marriage market in Dunedin was unusually brisk in March of this year. To he an Easter bride is evidently deemed as desirable as ever, and men are apparently perfectly willing to become Easter bridegrooms. The number of marriages registered by Mr W. E. Gladstone last month was 90, as against 59 in the March of 1928, and the total' for the first quarter of this year is 194, or -26 more than in the corresponding period of last year. Births seem to fluctuate numerically, for there were only 92 lost month as compared with. 125 for March of 1928, but the lotahs for the quarter give 368 this year, or 41 more than in the same period last year. The deaths in March totalled 67, Or 5 more than in ydarcli last year, and for tho quarter the total is 213,’ or 1 fewer than in 1928.

An erroneous impression is prevalent at Fort Chalmers to the effect that the corporation gasworks are about to bo closed. Users of gas arc concerned. There is, however, no cause to be, lor tho gasworks are not going to be closed down. The chairman of the Gasworks Committee of the borough council told a ‘ Star ’ reporter to-day that the works aro old /ind may have been neglected in the past, but there is no prospect of them being closed down. Apart from the utility aspect of the concern, tho closing of the works is not practicable financially. For instance, if they wore closed the annual interest payable on their cost would considerably exceed the annual working deficits, which are now being made up from the general account. Therefore householders need not feel concerned about tho gas supply.