Election Funds

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 63, 1 April 1937, Page 5

Election Funds

-Preas Assooiation.)

LABOUR DECISION Contributions From Branches of Party REMITS DEBATED

(By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, This Day. The Labour Conference to-day decided to inaugjurate a national campaiga Eund to finance Labour candidates at the general election, and all branches are asked to raise the equivalent of £1 per annuin for every branch member. The report of the Maori organising committee outlined the stepe taken in this branch of the party's activities. There was considerable discussion on the basic wage, and the conference passed a resolution that" it be a recommendation to the Government to set up a commission to investigate the cost of living with the object > of deciding what wage would adequately provide a reasonable standard of living for a man wife and three children, The conference congratulated the Government on the introduotion of tue 40-hour week, but remits were receiv" ed indicating that there was some dissatisfaction in the administration oi the legislation. The conference expressed the epinion that +he 4C-hour week shou.d app*y to industries where its application is practicable. The Minister of. Labour^ the Hon. H. T. Armstrongf, reporied ffchat he was preparing legislation dealing with the closing hours of shops and offioes, and the conference suggested that the industrial organisations affected make recommendationa to the Minister. The conference decided to reeommend that the Minister of Labour convene a meeting of representatives of gasworks employees and employers to deal with the difficulties that have developed. A recommendation was adopted that industrial organisations be asked to set up a committee to submit recommendations to the Government on .the question of apprenticeship a^nd dilution of labour (slrilled and unskilled labour working- together). The conference recommended that the question of child labour be referred to the Minister in Charge of Child Welfare with a recommendation that where ever juveniles are employed in industry they be adequately protected. The conference adopted a recommendation to the Government that all workers compensation business be handled by the State Insurance office.