Political Labour League.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 793, 8 April 1905, Page 2

Political Labour League.

i NEW PLYMOUTH BRANCH FOKMEI). At the Hall on - Friday evening', llie Hon. .John Riggi i- M.1.C., delivered an addressi on the , "New Zealand Political Labour Ixa- . guc and Its Objects." The chair was i taken 'by Mr Hawker, president ot the PainterS' Union, and there was i? an attendance of about fifty persons, including two ladies, i-1 The speaker, who was well rccoiv- [. ed. said that the Political Labour ', League originated With the Trades : Councils of the colony. At a recent Iconference Canterbury delegates alone •- objected to an independent labour r organisation being formed. He point|cd out that there were 27,600 Unionists in the colony, of whom 26,000 i- were male adults. The census showtd that 57 per iqent- of those were s married, so that would give 15,000 lp wives, Which combined gave 41,000 [icople, a following no other polie tical organisation in the colony pos(1 scssed. Thoy hoped to exercise an ini, ffucoqe in every electorate, and to •- work for the good of the people of i. the colony. One of the first duties e of the League was to turn out of o Parliament men who had gone in on h |tho backs of the labour party, and a then betrayed them. They wanted members to he loval and true to the

. memDers to Lie loyal ana true to me people who elected them, and proposed wherever possible to run Labour members and also endeavour to return Labour members for municipal and other local governing bodies. How many real Labour membars had Ifew Zealand in Parliament ? The party was really non-ex-istent as far as organisation was conpernod in this colony, awl that was why tho League was formed. 'JJhey were building for the future. It was probable that Mr Seddon's disapixliranee from politics niijfht not be long delayed. This would no doubt cause a great blank for a |tlmq, and there might be chaos, so ttiero was artl tho more need for tlie Labour party to be thoroughly organtaod to be ready when the tima •ame.; Tho essential feature of the League was its independence. At present nearly every member of tho libera 1 !' party, in the House was personally pledged to Support Mr Scdtlon, subordinating principles to personalities. The result was a party split in policy, and sulid only when there was a vote of no-conlidenco itgainsi the 'Government. They should put measures before men and if a Government would not be progressive a lid democratic they must turn it out. He contended that the Liberal party had retrogressed of late years, and that since 1900 had not been gofng ahead. They claimed that the Liberal party was failing the colony, and that there was urgent need for the new party. If Mr Spddon wpuld give them the legislation they wanted they could work With hini all right. He enumerated the plfttiks of the new Labour party an follows 1. State Bank (a) Establishment lof a State Bank with sole right of .note issue, which shall be legal tender, I 2. Land Heforin :—(a) Abolition of J the sale of Crown lands ; (b) perio.difial re-va|uutjon of all Crown lands Jield on lease; (e) resumption of land for closer settlement to be at owner's vajuatjon for taxation purposes. plus tpn per cent ; (d) tenants' | aA>polute right to tlleip improvements 1 , a. Local Government Heforin (a) Parliamentary franchise to apply to the elections of all local bodies ; (b) every elector to have the right to vote on all questions submitted to p. polfc 4. Economic Government (a) Referendum w)(,h the initiative in tho 'hands of the people ; ( i,) abolition of the Upper House ; <pi Elective Expcutive. 5. Statutory Preference of Employ- i n;fnt to Unionists;. (5, Cessation of Borrowing, except

"wumpwon ; (ij 1 ) completing works already authorised by Parliament.: 7. Nationalisation (a-) Establishment of State ironworks ; (h) najuonalisution of all mineral wealth ■ ( (0) eßtabllishmont of State woollen foctork"® U ' iliS Und ulothi[, K '">< l iboot I Note.—Labour candidates shall liave n free hand on the liquor and liscal questions. Continuing', Mr ltigg soja thov ""i* to paSB »»*han'iJUt lo " uss P'"'>ctical l i " thu 1 t "' ol 'l<J. provide work for the . people, and lead to the prosperity of the colony. They wished to put the State in the position of the parent to the child. J n con•luaion he spoke in justification of the formation of the party. Sixtv«U'M per cent, of the population »eip wage-earners. They had tht «*y "Ot use Tbwe wfts nothing in tli C T,. a . Rup for the nilircenary or the ambi--1 (food doal fo, ihe man «ho wished to do something for the aecU of th»' l "i 0W ,Mn'Z* U °, Len >f ,lt ' «'WC excellent, nd it w as ri oSUned t0 s „. uUou , Lhe liberal organisation. Alreadv tranches had been established nt laihape, loko, C'iiristchujieh, two nt J '"" 1 ' 1 ' luvercargill, Tho Wpf) . ( -oast Trades and Labour Council ■ad passed a resolution supporS lie movement. The Workers' Polttl- | •a,l t.omniiltec in IHmeaiii had also 1 >psspd a resolution in favour of ng tl'lf League! an<l >" i "' On the motion of Mi . CJ|rigtjßon jt rW v' i . 10 , folin a t"-an«h of iho . I»olit,ical Labour I oa•nfec 11 ! ! 0W I>1 ' vn,outll . no dissentient Qtes boing recorded. A vote of thanks to tl)e speaker / oineTw w a!tor «''ich ' ome 2,j to JO members of the ncwlvreatod branch were enrolled, it w „ s ■ fiTOOtl that Messrs Chnstison und I 'tevensoii should comiuet the sec- j ctarfcif work pro. tcm., and tlint a ] ciural meeUng of memlx;rs be Call- ] jOS s o on. as convenient for the < sf gffiw ' j