N.Z. LABOUR PARTY

Southland Times, Issue 18829, 24 May 1920, Page 6

N.Z. LABOUR PARTY

REMITS FOR ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

SOME ORIGINAL PROPOSALS,

The Agenda Paper containing the remits to be considered at the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party in Wellington in July is now being circulated among the affiliated unions. The questions set down for consideration are varied, and range from a blessing for the Russian Soviets to the fixing of wages of members of Parliament by the 'delegates present at the annual conference of the Labour Party. The most interesting proposals may be summarised as follows:

The Canterbury Labour Representation Committee proposes “that no members of Parliament shall hold official positions on the National Executive” of the party, while the Wellington Social Democratic Party proposes that “no member of the Parliamentary Labour Party shall ally himself politically (for any purpose) with the members of any other parliamentary' group, without both the full knowledge and consent of cither the parliamentary Labour caucus or the National Executive of the Labour Party.” The Wellington Painters' Union proposes to debar the national secretary of the party from accepting nomination as a parliamentary candidate. The Palmerston North Social Democratic Parly suggests that “the National Executive of the Labour Party shall act as an advisory board to Labour M.P.’s.”

Tire Labour Representation Committee of Palmerston North insists that the qualification for a Labour candidate for Parliament shall be two years’ membership of the party, and the Christchurch Social Democratic Party proposes “that, seeing the objective of the Labour Party is the socialisation of the means of distribution and exchange, that no nominee of the party shall be allowed official support who doss not sign a declaration of Socialism, such declaration to be held by the National Executive.” In line with this proposal are those from the Hawks’s Bay L.R.C. and the Wellington Central branch;— That all selected Labour candidates publish in the local papers of the electorate they are chosen to contest, the platform and objective of the New Zealand Labour Parly, pledging their adherence and loyally to the aims and objects of the party, and until this is done they shall not be endorsed by the National Executive. Any official Labour candidate for Parliament who omits to give full and free expression to and explanation of the platform and objective of the party during an electoral contest shall bo deemed unfit to proceed to a selection ballot until five years after such electoral contest. A novel proposal comes from the Wanganui branch: —“ That when the New Zealand Labour Party controls the reins of Government, the wage for members of Parliament lo be fixed b}’ (he delegates at annual conference.” The Canterbury L.R.C. and Wellington S.D.P. send forward remits dealing witii Russian affairs:—

Realising that the cause of Labour is one

and international, and that the emancipation of the wot leers of one country presages the emancipation of the workers of all coun- | fries, this body, representative of organised Labour in New Zealand, places on record its heartfelt satisfaction that the long-con-tinued efforts of world capitalism have up till now completely j failed to re-imposo the yoke of political and economic slavery' on their fellowworkers- in Russia, and further trusts that complete success will finally crown the continued efforts of the peoples’ Governments through the Soviets to eliminate all exploitation of man by man in Russia through I the establishment of an economic democracy and a socialised community. That the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party strongly condemns the action of the Allied Governments in prosecuting a war against the Russian Revolution. In the attitude of supplying munitions and men to aid the reactionary forces of Russia to restore the old Czarist regime of autocratic government. First Korniloff, then Koltehak, then Denikin, then Yudenitch, not to mention frequent flirtations with Mannerhcim and his German associates, ignoring altogether the just claims of the Russian working classes to govern themselves in their own way. Revelations made by impartial observers of the Russian situation prove how baas and wicked the Allies’ policy has been. We congratulate the Socialist Soviet Republic of Russia on its magnificent and successful effort to withstand the onslaught of the combined forces of Imperialistic Capitalism and wish them every success in the great cause of Socialism and progressive humanity'. The questions of militarism and the Peace Treaty arc covered by several remits. The Wellington S.D.P. proposes;— That the pronouncement made by last conference upon the terms of peace imposed on the Central Powers was fully justified, in that it failed to adequately describe the crime against civilisation contained (herein. Time has revealed these terms to be a great international tragedy-, because they' doom the world to a further prolonged period of strife, and leave mankind without hope of confidence in the future. This conference records its appreciation of the splendid fight made by the Parliamentary Labour Party, during the last . session, against- New Zealand becoming a party to the crime, and callsjupon them to strive as strenuously’ for a revision of these impossible and brutal terms, whenever opportunity presents itself.

The Canterbury L.R.C. proposes that the provision in the present Labour platform for a citizen army be deleted, which would place the partj’ in opposition to any system of defence. The National Peace Council makes the following comprehensive proposals:— General objective: The establishment of social relations on a basis of justice such that every individual member of the human race, irrespective of colour, creed, sex, nationality, or culture, may have an equal opportunity to live the fullest life that is possible for each such member in human society.

1. The industrial and political unity of the. workers of all countries in a world federa lion of peoples of the world, thus ending the exploitation of private capitalism.

2. The right of all peonies to self-deter-mination to be (applied in particular to Ireland, Egypt, India, and South Africa), for the purpose of ending the exploitations of Modem Imperialism, 3. The definite repudiation of militarism and all its instruments (conscription, voluntary armies, news censorship, passports, etc.) with immediate disarm anient. N.B. —Recognising that modern wars waged by the Capitalist Governments means in essence, the massacre of tho workers of one country by the workers of another country, for the financial profit of a few, the Labour Party urges the workers of belligerent countries to reply to a declaration of war by a general strike.

4. Complete control by each people of its relations with other peoples; all arrangements to be published, and no arrangements unpublished to be valid. 5. The complete control of all foreign trade by the people.

6. New Zealand, being a member of (ho League of Nations, shall control its own foreign policy, or, failing that, to cease lo be a member of the League

Complete revision of (he Treaty of’ Versailles,'of 1919, in accordance with Truth and Justice.

This conference records the undying opposition of Labour to Militarism. Too world history of the past 10 years show:- ell civilised nations constantly increasing their defensive armaments, each Government repeating in the ear of its people the tuneworn phrase—“lf you wish for peace, prepare for war.” Preparations were made more by some peoples than by us, and those [■copies now are worse off than we are. War was not prevented. Victory was even shown to be dependent not on the armaments, of one people, but on the chance alliance of certain Governments, often purchased at the cost, of priceless liberties of weaker peoples which no victory can replace. Peace depends not oh military or naval development, but on Socialist organisation in a fraternal federation of the world for mutual aid. On the important question of housing the Wellington S.D.P. proposes: — The present inadequate system of housing the people of New Zealand is in danger of becoming still more deplorable owing to the inability of the responsible authorities. Private monetary interests retard the only possible solution of the bousing problem. In order to effectively deal with the matter the State should eliminate, as far as possible, all elements of private profit by: —- 1. Extending the present national .sawmilling industry. 2. National cement works and the pro- , vision of other building materials. 3. Erection of houses to he the business of a special State department, with a Minister of Housing in charge. 4. The State to supply all necessary materials for the building of modern equipped houses. 5. The Building Trades Federation of Unions be asked to do the work under Government supervision, with an assured

weekly wage. 6. All such houses to be leased by the occupier from the fit ate or municipality. Private house and land agencies absolutely' prohibited. 7. Whenever a, suitable site for houses may be required, no private landowner shall impede their erection. A large number of remits deal with constitutional amendments affecting the party. Others outline proposed alterations to the platform. In this connection it is proposed that “in the event of Stair ownership being carried, there shall be no liability on the part of the State to purchase all or any of the ggsels of the liquor trade.” A new land policy is desired by the Palmerston North branch, and it is suggested that the fanners present at the conference frame it. The deletion of “the right to work” and the substitution of “the right to live” is desired, The Kaipara branch proposes;— 1. That the embargo having been removed from the export, of hides, the Government should he urged to remove the duty from the import of hoots and make up the revenue by an eoual tax on all land values, with no exemption or graduation, as by this we should not lose any revenue by the cutting up of large estates. 2. The early' nationalisation r,f land values by the direct taxation of same. 3. That Parliament be urged to make rating on the unimproved land value national immediately, and the onus of calling n poll he left to those requiring rating on the capital or rental value.

Several amendments to the Labour laws are proposed, and remits aiming at a continued propaganda in the interest:: of the party and the amalgamation of ali trade union papers in one national paper are also put forward. In all, there are over 100 proposals on the agenda paper. No affiliated body south of Christchurch has forwarded snv remits.