PEOPLE'S LEAGUE.

Taihape Daily Times, 20 August 1919, Page 3

PEOPLE'S LEAGUE.

OBJECTS OF THE MIOVEMENT. CHRIST-OHUR-CH, Aug. 18. Two of the main moVel's in the Peo.ple’s League are Messrs Andrew Fairburn (Who was a member fof the ‘Cost of Living Commission) and J. B. lStruthers. In a statement of its objects, the League sets out that it is an organisation of Law-abiding citizens, who believe in democratic and constitutional Government, and are opposed 'to secretly arranged action inimical '6O ‘public interests designed by combina[tions in restraint -of trade, profits, and

lgtrike orgaa.nise’i‘§. The League is‘esta.blished in the interests of all classes of llabour, and is desirous of bringing about a. better un.del'standing between ’ all smtions of the community. Minimum

wages, it says, must not be subjected to commercial competition, and should g-~ hand ill hand with the cost of living and must provide for ;a reasonable standard of comfort, but no artificial ‘obstacles should be placed in the Way of workers to improve their position in life_ Incontrovertible evidence exists ‘that war*pr-orfiteering has been operating with the full knowledge and consent of both the Massey Government and the Coalition, through their failure to Gazette by Order—in-Council, the regulation of the Trade and Commerce Act, 1914, in its entirety. The people have been prevented from using Law Courts to obtain redress. from profiteers. The League demands:—— (a) That the Regulation of Trade

and Commerce Act be gazetted in its

entirety to cover all commodities, and be made retrospéctive to August 10, 1914. (b) Tiiat all profiteers within

the meaning of the Act be prosecuted. That all proved war profits be confiscated, and paid to reduce the war debt, and the guilty parties be punished, as provided for in Section 14.. The -League demands that the present Board of Trade, which has proved itself incapable of protecting the p.eo- - from profiteering, be abolished, and :8 new Board constituted with a personnell concerned with the consumers’ in‘terests, the new Board to have statutory powers to take evidence. and compel subpoenaed witnesses to‘ produce books and documents when investiga"r"“‘*~ We necessary. After advocating I'o-construction of the Chambers. of ‘Commerce and giving them statutory

powers to institute prosecutions for profiteering |3.«11d breaches of the Weights of Food and Commercial Trusts Acts and the licensing of all business, the statement proceeds: The League pledges itself to uphold absolute freedom of trade within the Dominion, and demands amendment of the Commercial Trusts‘ A-ct, preventing suppliers or combinations of traders from fixing selling prices, with penal conditions and other methods pr:-Ictised for the purpose of increasing prices to the public. In conclusion, the League protests against tlle British Empire Order de-

col'a.l‘iorns being conferred ‘upon men who have not served outside New Zealand, and against the niggardly and unsymprathetic txweatment of soldiers Who have serve doverseas. It advocates a. ‘sound system of defence, but is against compulsory service. in peace Time.