Trades and Labour Council.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 8, Issue 29, 9 April 1907, Page 5

Trades and Labour Council.

SOME DRASTIC RESOLUTIONS. EXCLUSION OP CHINESE, Dunedin, April G, At tho Trades and Labour Councils’ Conference a resolution was carried that tho Electoral Act should be amended in tho direction ol making it illegal for any candidate lor Parliamentary honours to make donations within throe months o£ the Election. It was resolved— That the Government bo urged to nationalise the bool industry. That tho Conference re-alarm tho principle of rating on unimproved values. That State legal bureaus bo established, with public defenders. That tho Government bo urged to adopt a self-reliant policy, and to ccasc borrowing cx'ecpt lor the redemption of loans, and to issue legal tender notes for tho purpose ol completing tho unfinished Main Trank and other important railway lines now in course of construction, and for other permanent and reproductive works. That tho Government bo urged to increase the land and income taxes, to reduce tho exemption from income-tax now allowed to UiOO, and to abolish the exemption in respect to land-tax, and that the revenue so derived bo applied in a corresponding decrease ol tho duties on the necessaries of hie which cannot bo produced in tho colony. That tho Government be urged to abolish the Legislative Council That the Government bo urged toinlroduce a Bill curly in tho coming Session to amend the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1005, so as to provide for unconditional statutory preference to Unionists.

Mr .H, \V. Brookes (Auckland) moved "That the Conference re-atiinn the resolution passed at the last Conference in favour of an increase of the poll-tax on Chinamen to £1000,”

Mr T. O’Byrne (Southland) seconded, Mr Hampton (Wellington) moved an amendment " That the Government be urged to prohibit the immigration of Chinese and other Asiatics, and that this Conference declare in favour of a white New Zealand.'’ The mailer of a £tooo poll-tax was nothing to the Chinese magnates who imported these Chinese coolies into New Zealand, They wanted a clean colony and a clean race,

Mi; J. Jaokson (Westland) seconded the amendment. The Chinese, ho said, had been a curse to the gold-fields. They had round the Premier in favour of a white colony. Lot them take him in a good mood, and got him to father legislation to keep all Lhcso uudcsir.iblca out of the colony. Mr J. A. McCullough (Canterbury) said there was as much danger from other Asiatic races, such as their Indian fellowsubjoata, as there was from Chinamen, Mr W. Peake (Auckland) suggested (hat it might be wise to qualify the request for the exclusion of Chinese to allow for exceptional cases. The amendment was carried by a large majority.