THE LABOR PARTY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 87, 21 July 1910, Page 5

THE LABOR PARTY.

ITS OBJECTIVE AND PLATFORM. WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECTS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland. Last Nignt. The committee appointed by the Trades and Labor Conference to draw up the objective and platform oi the New Zealand Labor Party, presented its report at to-day's meuthg, the following planks being adopted after discussion:— The objective is to maintain upon our Statute Books all the progressive legislation that has already been enacted, and to insist upon its sympathetic and proper administratio-i. To enact comprehensive measures and to establish such conditions as will foster and ensure equality of opportunity, also the moral, material and educational advancement and the general comfort and well being of the whole people, based upon the gradual public ownership of all the means of production and exchange platform. Immediate Nationalisation of Monopolies: (a) The establishment of a State ferry service and State collieries; (b) establishment of competitive State factories.

Land Reform: (a) No further sale of Crown lands; (b) leasehold tenure, with right of renewal, and periodical revaluation, every 21 years, except for heavy bush and swamp lands; (c) tenant's absolute right to improvement; (d) limitation of area, based on value, to ensure an equitable distribution of our lands; (e) resumption of native and other lands for closer settlement on renewable lease; (f) increment tax on all land sales, to secure to the State all socially created values; (g) the reter tion and direct operation by the State of sufficient land to meet the demands of the national food supply; (h) increased graduated land tax. Currency Reform: (a) Establishment of a State bank, with sole right of note issue; (b) cessation of public borrowing, except for redemption of loans and completion of works already authorised by Parliament.

Electoral Reform: (a) Abolition of the Legislative Council; (b) proportional representation on single transferable vote; (c) initiative aid referendum; (d) Parliamentary franchise to apply to the election of all local bodies; (e) full political rights to all State employees. Industrial Reform: (a) Right to Work Bill; (b) insurance against unemployment; (c) extension of State labor agencies and abolition of private registry offices; (d) a maximum eight-hour day, a six-day week, with a gradual reduction to a forty-hour week; (e) Statutory preference of employment to unionists; (f) equal pay for equal work for male and female workers; (g) amended Workers' Accommodation Act; (h) amended Workers' Compensation Act; (i) amended Conciliation and Arbitration Act; (j) the prohibition of labor under contract; (k) a legislative minimum wage. Taxation Reform: (a) A graduated income tax, \>ased on scientific principles, with a super tax on unearned incomes; (b) a graduated absentee tax. Education Reform: (a) The maintenance of a free secular and compuwory >State educational system from primary school to university; (b) free school books.

Social Reform: (a) Pensions for widows and orphans, and State assistance in maternity; (b) right of the people to restrict or abolish the liquor traffic by a l are majority vote at local and Dominion option polls.