BRITISH POLITICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 October 1924, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

LABOUR PARTY'S CONEHR HXC'I-

[Reuters Telegrams.]

(■Received ill'.* day at 11.27 a.m.) LONDON. Oct. 7.

Tlie I .ahour Party Gonfcieneo lias opened at Queen's Hall. London. Unusual interest was taken in the proceedings, in anticipation ol a pronouncement li.v .Mr Ramsay .MacDonald on the. Government crisis. The Conference was preceded hv a breakfast, at which were present members of Cabinet. Labour Party Executive. and representatives of the Trade Union Congress at a West End restaurant; but Air .MacDonald did not attend. lie went straight to the Cnnlerelieo. appearing, a (|imrter id’ an hour before the opening. 11<* received an ovation from the crowd outside. 11 is appearance on the platform was greeted with the singing of the “Red Flat;” and "The Internationale.” Mr MacDonald, recalling the Labour success at the last election, despite the campaign of loud sneakers, lobster tin cans and other humbug, said lie was fixed to tin l limit to-dnv by the possible trickery of eonsnirntors and resourceful demagogues. He claimed that no Government had done more to alleviate the lot of the victims of unemployment or solve the housing problem.

lie praised Mr Phillip Snowden’s Budget and declared that the next Labour Budget would continue the good work. That, perhaps was the real explanation of our present difficulties. The second Labour Budget would jeopardise the lives of the other two parties.

Mr MacDonald continuing, said the work of the Labour delegation at Geneva should give pride to all seeking the security of peace. A trial must be given to the Dawes Plan, but the whole Trade Union Movement in the world was morally Inund to support the German trade unions against capitalistic attempts to reduce wages or lengthen hours on the plea ol the reparations payments. The Premier also defended the AnglnBussinu Treaty, declaring that there were interests in the country prepared, in the bitterest sense, to sacrifice every national concern to themselves. Tf the Treaty came short of a reallv satisfactory settlement, that would he because the blunders and escapades of their predecessors still hung like poison clouds over all our endeavours.

The political situation, said Air MacDonald. is now giving no little concern. Air Asquith’s post-election speech plainly iiiilniated that the Labour Government. must eat out ol his hand and this lipally settled the Liberal-Labour relations. ’ It was the beginning of an unworthy policy, the latest phase of which demanded a definite stand. Ihe trumped up stunt about dropping a certain prosecution gave the wily pettifogging lawyer a chance. The country .wishes the Government to continue its work, which cannot he interrupted, except at’a grave national disadvantage. They were the only men who could carry on in the eyes of the foreigner and their own people. The Government was respected by Parliament. Ihe plan was to force a humiliated Government to go to the country in a tortnight’s time. The Conservati.es had a straight-forward note of censure, butthe Liberal amendment was conceived in the spirit of medieval crookedness and torture. The Government would not he censured as it would only be in- < ulted. A packed committee, would on the eve of the election, publish a ieport which he knew was already drawn up, censuring the Government. By this little manoeuvre Labour would go down and the fortunes of the Liberal Party he restored. I Imv mistake their men. This chicanery will provide a resentment that will make our victories all tlu> more numerous. Fresh and clean lighting constituencies and clear air will give us strength in the Commons, making us Independent ol partisan tactics. Air AlaeDonald hoped the Conlorenee. in its deliberations, would remember what was at stake.

COMMUNISTS NOT WANTED. LONDON. Oct. 7. At* the Labour Party ('oidcreiicc, Mr Cramp, in proposing a resolution which was carried unanimously, i ingrslid.ilcd Air Aim*Donald on his success in Hie political organisation of the Laboin movement. He propliesised that altei the election l abour would be the mrger.t party in the Commons. Mr Herbert Smith, President of the Miners’ Federation, in seconding the motion, declared the miners were determined to return the Labour Government, not because they believed in the reparations ns brought about in the Dawes report, but because Air AlacDontil.l and his friends were going m the right direction to-bring about the aim of’ the reparations and end wars fiirovcr. , . , The. Conference refused a Communist application for ndiiintiou by •J.Ko, v votes to 193,1100. , The Conference carried the Exe.i.tive’s further recommendation that no member or the Communist Party should I,e eligible for endorsement as a Labour candidate for Parliament, or any local authority by 2,.170.000 votes to b01.b.1.b TO ATTACK NOT DEFEND.

(Received this day nt 10.27 a.mA LONDON. October . ■

Mi* AlaeDonald, in a speech at the labour Conference in L'miidon, said that when the time came the Government would dissolve and the delegates to the Conference would return to thenposts and sleep in armour until work was given them. The Labour I’lirti would, take the field, not to deleud itself, hut to attack its enemies.