LABOR CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 183, 1 February 1912, Page 5

LABOR CONFERENCE.

A FIGHTING PLATFORM.

By Cable—Press Association—Copyright, Sydney, January 31.

Statements made at the Labor Conference that the State Government was paying the engineers on one of its boats lower wages than the recognised union rates led to strong protests, and a resolution was , carried that when the Government enters into competition with private enterprise in shipping it should pay the ruling rate of wages. The conference adopted the planks of its fighting platform in the following order: Constitutional reform, including the abolition of the Legislative Council, substituting therefor the initiative and referendum; the abolition of the office of State Governor; effective land settlement, embracing the cessation of sale of Crown lands; a State bank; taxation of land values; nationalisation of health organisation, providing free medical and nursing services, State maintenance of hospitals, supervision of dangerous and unhealthy occupations; equitable industrial laws, with regulation of hours of labor and a minimum wage. Plank 5 favors free secondary, technical and university education, free school material; plank 6 the establishment of State ironworks.

A MINISTER'S EXPLANATION. Received 31, 10 p.m. Sydney, January 31. Mr. Griffiths, replying to Labor Conference criticism, said the Government took a steamer over and continued paying the engineers the same wages as they had received before. There was no request made for an increase. The Engineers' Union, lie said, was to blame for not bringing the matter under the notice of the Government.