The Daily News SATURDAY, JANUARY 4. THE POLITICAL LABOR LEAGUE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 309, 4 January 1908, Page 2

The Daily News SATURDAY, JANUARY 4. THE POLITICAL LABOR LEAGUE.

Certainly the proceedings at the Conference of the Political Labor League held at Christchurch are not without some degree of interest. It is well to know, on the authority of Mr Sullivan, that it in a "vital principle of the League that the people's representatves were delegates to be sent to Parliament to register the will of the people." Up to the period of the advent of the Labor league the gentlemen who have filled the position of representatives of the people have had no seme. The sense is wholly with us, the people, the Labor league, and therefore there are to be no politically fraudulent "representative"" but "delegates" Bent to "register" our—the Labor League's—will. "People will no doubt be found to doubt the wisdom of this "vital principle," but assuredly everybody ought to feel grateful for the clearness with which it has been stated. One little matter —a trifling detail—appears to have es- ' enped the notice of the labor League. According to their "vital principle" delegates are to be "sent to register"; now why this loss of time, this labor, this expense!

'Acoording to the reported proceedings of the Conference there were marked differences of opinion; on some of the resolutions amendments were proposed, r<nd at least there was one close divi-sion-eight to six. It is evidently possible thai the Labor League, as the people, may on some questions change their minds, in which case past "registratiuns," made by their delegates, might prove eminently inconvenient. The eimplwt, the cheapest, the speediest, nrtd , I therefore the best way would he to have no delegates, no register, no anything, and give the Labor League & perfectly free, untrammelled hand. Very humbly this is suggested as in the nature of an improvement. The Labor League are communists. They simply propose to "nationalise everything," and they, of course, as the people, are to "run the bliow." This is very nice of them. It te to be feared, however, that their capacity to run anything is about equal to their modesty. The Hew Zealand Government works two coalmines but, through th« railways and other departments, it is its own baft customer. Other cuaimining organisations have not suf-i«i\-d lwcau»« the Government, having 0111 v two mines, the price of coal to the I cuni-umer has not been materially reduced. Xhe mining companies have been cnaiiled to subsist and the Government mines yield a profit. Were the Government, abandoning its profit, to undertake to supply coal at a price which Kou.d only enable payment of the cost of working, manifestly an injustice would be done to those who have invested capital in coal-mining. At present the Government mines are simply in the nature of a valve to prevent the general community from being unduly exploited. In order to obviate the perpetration of injustice the Government must first acquire all the coalmines of the colony before it con undertake to supply coal at cost price. This ought to be clear enough to any comprehension.

The Labor League are quite positive that in order to supply cheap food to the people it in the duty of the Government to establish and work State farms. This is an evidence of the capacity of the men whose ''vital principle" it is to lmve ''delegates sent to register" these edicts. For the State to start farming in order to bring down the price of agricultural produce it must first buy lip the rights of every farmer in the country, but then simple principles of justice are probably not entitled to any weight compared with "vital principles." Probably it might suggest itself to the leaders of the Labor League to adopt—and have duly registered—the "vital principle"' which animated the French Revolution—chop off the heads of the farmers first and sequestrate their estates afterwards. That is beautifully simple—as simple as doing without delegates and registration already suggested. Really, at this joyous period it is quite refreshing to come across the Poli-" tical Labor League. So unsophistieally simple are they, such an atmosphere of confident faith they breathe, such unselfish patriotism and indubitable wisdom they manifest that, during the next election, no one can hesitate to cordially wish them the same measure of success they had at the last. Probably readers of the "News" have omitted to observe n notice which appeared in an English paper recently which ran to the effect—''The three tailors which for 11 long period have been associated with Toolcr street have emigrated to New Zealand."