The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1929. THE LABOUR PROGRAMME

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1929. THE LABOUR PROGRAMME

Thk us© Iliac Avili bo bind© by tli© Labour Uovernmont »f tlie opportunity Hint is now being afforded to it is a matter concerning which the election manifesto of the party, signed by Mr Ramsay MacDonald, Mr Clyncs, and Mr Arthur Henderson, affords what shomd be the most authentic illation. The problem in the domestic sphere upon which the attention of the (jiooernment is in- the first place to be concentrated, says the “Otago Times,’’ is that of unemployment. A “three-fold charter’’ for dealing with this issue is to he directed to the promotion of national development and trade prosperity, the maintenance of the unemployed, and the relief of congestion in the labour market. The first of these headings eomprises'nothmg that is singular to the programme of the Labour Tarty. National development is to be encouraged by a policy of housing and slum clearance, land drainage, electrification, reorganisation of railways and trainsport, afforestation, and “training and assistance by agreements with the dominions for those who wish to, try their fortunes in new lands,” 'and trade prosperity is to be sought through the stimulation of depressed export ratles by the use of export credits and guarantees of trade facilities. 3n this connection it is proposed to re-establish diplomatic and trade relations with Russia. Under the heading of “maintenance,” more generous maintenance is promised for unemployed, together with the removal of “those qualifications which deprive them of payments to which they are entitled.” The congestion of the labour market is to he relieved, at the one end, by the provision of “adequate pensions for aged workers” and, at the other end, by the extension of the school age to 15, “with the necessary maintenance grants.” 111© conditions in the coal mining industry will receive special treatment. Measures are to he “immediately undertaken to alleviate distress, reorganise the industry from top to bottom both on its productive and racketing sides, and shorten the houiweof labour.” “A Labour majority,” the manifesto said, “would nationalise the mines and minerals as the only condition for satisfactory working.” Further, it is provided—though the manifesto does not specify how this is to be done—“the land must pass "under public control.” Plainly,-all this will call for an expenditure of public money on a very large scale, and it seems to he contemplated that the newssary funds will be secured by tlie imposition of heavy taxation. The party is, it claims, opposed to confiscation, as well as to force and revolution, hut it seems to aim at a wholesale transference of wealth from the possesion of individuals into that of tlie State. It “will abolish taxes on food and other necessaries, and provide • what revenue is needed by death duties on large estates and by I graduating the income tax and surC 0 ... . ,

tax with a view to relieving ■ tiio smaller, while increasing the contribution from the larger, incomes. The Labour Party will carry still further the differentiation between earned and unearned incomes. It will deal drastically with the’ scandal of the appropi iation of land values by private landowners. It will take steps to secure for the community the increased value of land which is created by industry and the expenditure of publicmoney.” It is an heroic policy, the defect in which is that the application must tend to the exhaustion,, more speedy perhaps than gradual, of ihe sources that are to be exploited by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and to a serious limitation of the field of employment. In respect of foreign relations the policy of the Labour party is to press for the speedy completion of the Disarmament , Conference. It is fortunate in succeeding to office at a time when, partly as a reffilt of the policy of the Conservatives, the international atmosphere seems favourable to the prosecution of steps directed t 6 the establishment of peace on a looting of substantial security.