UNITED LABOR PARTY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 283, 27 May 1912, Page 6

UNITED LABOR PARTY

ITS PRINCIPLES DEFINED. SPEECH BY THE HON. G. PWOLDS.

The Hon. G. Fowlds addressed an audience of about seventy-live in the Good Templar Hall on Saturday evening, in exposition of the principles of the United Labor Party. The Mayor (Mr. G..W. Browne) occupied the chair, and briefly introduced Mr. Fowlds. At the outset, Mr. Fowlfis said that everywhere lie had lately spoken in the Dominion he had found a very sympathetic feeling towards the United Labor Party. It was made patent to him that the time was arriving when a new party was wanted to enter the political arena. The keen lesson of the last election pointed in the same direction. If Mr. Massey and his supporters imagined that their largely increased vote at the last election was a recognition of the Opposition's principles by the mass, they made a very great mistake. (Hear, hear.) The main objective of that vote was rather a desire oh the part of the Labor people to turn out the Government, which had not been going sufficiently fast to satisfy their ideals. The organisation of the new party was a humanitarian necessity against the other two parties, both .of which had grown out of touch with the spirit of the age.

"I am not here," remarked the speaker, I "to disparage the great work done in I the past by the Liberal "arty. To-day ' we are able to organise ■ lew democratic ! party with success, mucu because of the I work of the party gone before. At the ' same time we can't afford to remain stationary. In some respects the Government was retrogressive as well as stationary, rather than progressive. It was that cause which caused me to separate from them. I had no idea that changes were so near, and that so soon would we have a truly radical party organised to put down a proper platform." Mr. Fowlds then went on to refer to the lot done to the cause by Professor Mills, and to describe the platform drawn up at Easter by the United Labor Party as one which should satisfy all the most progressive and the most reasonable men. "THE GROWING SPIRIT OF UNREST." It was no use blinking ourselves to the growing spirit of unrest which was encompassing the whole world, and thinking that all was right. On all sides one saw a growing recognition that this unrest was distinctly traceable to the conditions under which the mass of the people live. It was an unrest which would not be subdued until some radical improvement took place in the social conditions. It would depend upon the way the new party proceeded, whether it would accomplish this end or not, and, judging by the wisdom shown in drawing up its platform, there was every reason to believe that before long a very large section of the people would be drawn to the new party's ranks. The people of New Zealand were progressive people, and he was convinced that if his party put before them a reasonable proposal, which would* make for the uplifting of mankind, it would receive, at any rate, a sympathetic hearing and probably be largely adopted. -A MASTEnLY PRODUCTION." He was of the opinion that the Labor Party's platform was the most perfect piece of mechanism he had ever seen for political and industrial protection. It was indeed a masterly production, intended for the purpose of uniting the people together into one organisation to watch over the industrial and political interests as a whole. THE BASIS OF ORGANISATION. The basis of organisation of the party 2;!" * 8 * rst P' lftce ' •«» local traded unions, and they would be grouped into a national federation. Then the co-related-branches were worked into a federated group, which formed the national execu ive-the hub of the party. Then, a addition to that, in order to secure that every section of the commight find a place within the party, it had been arranged that associations b V c f ed and affiliated with the Labor Party. There might be radical ana progressive associations of many minds, and therefore an individual member was enabled to join on payment of a nominal subscription to the party. Mr. Fowlds was emphatic that the foregoing arrangement was about as perfect as the mmd of man can make it." Delegates from all these organisations were to assemble once a year-probably af Wellington-and that conference would be the supreme body of the party- It would deal with matters industrial or the party itself The party recognised that from time to time it would be necessary- to review and possibly add to the platform adopted. It was hoped to get within the ranks of the party all classes ot useful people in the country. DEFINING A WORKER.

Sb-ess was laid by the speaker upon tne fact that the word "worker" should have a wide meaning. By workers they meant not only workers in the town, but in the country as well, including every man or woman who was rendering any kind of useful service. The party was not confined to manual laborers. "We use,' 'he continued, "the term 'labor' in the widest sense. The interests of all useful people are in the same line, and the common enemy of all which they should be united to fight is largely expressed in the term 'monopoly and privilege."' The speaker added that the movement should include the small shopkeepers in the town and the small farmers m the country, for were not they useful people?

PIN-'PRICKING (LABOR LEGISLATION. "I cannot help thinking," pursued Mr. Fowlds, "that a good deal of'labor legislation and administration in this country has been pin-pricking legislation, which has produced a maximum of annoyance to the employers, with a minimum -of benefit to employees." Proceeding, be said it was open to question whether, after many years of legislation, the condition of the masses had not to some extent deteriorated. Outlining the- objects of the United Labor Party, the speaker said it aimed at the production of the highest and most efficient form of citizenship, and the establishment of social justice on the widest possible basis, in order that those at the lowest rung of the ladder, politically and socially, might have a proper chance in this world, and in order to secure a more equitable distribution of 'abnr's products. Continuing, the disciple of "the new evangel" stated that the first, plank of the party was to secure for', democracy the soundest of education, and, digressing, he poured forth a vehement diatribe against the press of the 1 Dominion in general. A DEFINITE PLATFORM. Branching out in another direction, he said it was surely necessary to set a fairly high ideal "at the outset, even though the party did not get complete realisation of its platform immediately it obtained a majority in Parliament. One of the reasons why the United Labor Party was going to make a rapid and wide appeal to the country was because it had a definite platform,' affording the people some idea of what was going to come out of the Parliamentary machine they created, once it was returned to power. At nresent. the elector had •. ■•<>■.>" 'kc» wiyjt was trwnr so »a * .

pen. He had only to refer to the memorable .speech put into the mouth of the Governor at the last session, to drive home the force of his remarks in this connection. VARIOUS REFORM!?. Other reforms which thi party aimed at were outlined Ik Mr. Eowlds, as follows:—Electoral reform, embody in-'; proportional representation; the initiative referendum and recall—there was only one safe and final court of appeal, and that was the people themselves; a State Bank, with the sole right of note issue; social reform, including the endowment of motherhood; a State coal service; a State ferry service of steamers; and cooperation with the Federal Government in the direction of securing a State intercolonial steamer service. Mr. Fowlds also dealt at considerable length -with the necessity for land reform, by means of direct taxation, to "get at" large estates, and at the conclusion of his address was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks.