THE LABOUR PARTY AT MASTERTON.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 1, Issue 4, 15 December 1910, Page 11

THE LABOUR PARTY AT MASTERTON.

A general meeting of the Masterton Branch, of the Labour Party was held on Friday, October 21, to consider the matter of finance, and to organise a fighting fund in the interests of Labour; Mr P. Smith occupied the chair. The chairman, in opening the meeting said he -was pleased with the large audience present. They were, no doubt, fully conscious of the fact that the subscription of Is per year per member was altogether inadequate to cover the necessary expenses incurred. Mr. L. Webb, in moving his notice of motion : " That the membership subscription be increased to Is per member per month," said that the question of finance "would have to be tackled sooner or later, and the sooner the better. The branches of the Party, in other parts of the Dominion, were in the same position, crippled for want of funds. This could only be met by increasing the membership subscription. Mr Langston said he considered the time was not far distant when the workers would see the futility of putting their energy into trying to obtain concessions from an unwilling Arbitration Court, and would throw their whole weight into united political action, backed up by their funde. Mr McLeod thought a big factor in bringing the workers into line would be a Labour paper. He was pleased with the response made by Masterton in supporting the proposed Labour paper " The Maoriland "Worker." Several other speakers, anions; them Messrs Edwards, Rippon, McKenzie and Threadwell, endorsed the need of a fighting fund for the Labour Party, and the imperative need of a Labour paper. The motion was carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the chair closed the meeting.