NEW ZEALAND WELFARE LEAGUE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10606, 3 June 1920, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND WELFARE LEAGUE

(To the Editor “N.Z. .Times. Sir—A correspondent in your , columns, under the “nomde plume”,,of "Eax,' asks my league several quogtipps. iie says that having read our .manifesto, fie can fiud no reference in it to the questions' of “land valuation, , land, taxation, and unearned increment of the value of land.” In view of your leader, he asks, “Will tho league please state'iw view? All that can be said in reply i* that whilst recognising the value ■of public criticism on those questions, in your leader and otherwise, the league has no definite pronouncement to make upon them. The league is not a political party, nor an organisation for tne promulgation of political views on the questions set out by your correspondent. The membership of our. league, is composed of men who support Reform, Liberal, Labour, and . Independents, and necessarily their views diffen on the questions “Fax” submits. Until a general agreement is arrived at on any particular question, tho league refrains f rom presenting as its views what - nugnt merely bo tho views of some of. its members. . The questions presented are important ones for tho parties.,to deal with, and we should like to see them given more attention by the- members ol tho House; ‘ but the league is strictly non-party, and cannot appear as contending /or any particular programme. There may be features of the land question that we can deal with later, on non-party and general grounds, but at present the league leaves the question to those who aio specialising on the subYour correspondent thinks tbs league would be doing a real service by P™* lisbing the number of members of trades' unions in Now Zealand, and the names, occupations, i>lace of birtn, age at arrival in New Zealand (if not born here) of union officials, also the same particulars in respect to Labour members of Parliament. Tho number of members in unions, whether workers r>r employers, can bo But from tno Registrar of Industrial Unions or tne Government Statistician. «c may publish the figures if required for any general purpose of ■inlorniation. On the other matter affecting union officials and I abouv M.T’.'s, Hie league could not consent to do as your correspondent asks Wo want it distinctly -understood, that rim league is dealing with principles, not persons, and provided.,, a person’* views are just and., fair,.,the .league door not care uho be is, where, lie works, 01 whether ho was horn in New Zealand oi not. The league is not opp«ed tc workers’ unions or their officers. It is hoi in opposition f-o labour, and does not wish anyone to place it in that position. It has fearlessly criticised ts« “Hod” element of the Labour movement because it honestly considers the piopagauda of that element, both in the unions and in politics, is had in P-incaple, and its policy is a wrecking one. . ... Whenever a policy or principle w, m the league’s opinion, 'against tho public welfare, it will oppose it. whether put forward by employers or workers, or by any political party, hut it cannot lend itself to personalities and invidious comparisons which might in some cases prove very unjust. ARTHUR P. HARPER, Secretary, N.Z. Welfare League