WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1916, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

LABOR RE-ORGANISATION. PURCHASE MR TAXATION. (From Our Own Correspondent). The constitutioii ami objective and platform of the new Labor Party that lias just announced its formation seem to the casual observer to lie very much like the constitution and objective of platform of the old Labor Party. Apparently the object of the conference that sat here last week war, rather to amalgamate the various Labor forces than to burden them with fresh problems for solution The task already before them is sufficient formidable. It is summed up in the objective—the socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange—and elaborated in the platform. There is to be a Sti'.te bank, of course, with the sole right of issue, a State shipping service, and a State monopoly or all the major industries. Education is to be free, secular and compulsory, from the kindergarten to the university—inclusive, it may oe j.ri'suiiicd Pinions are to be uiiivrs.il and at higher rates, and there is to be a voluntary citien army receiving standard wages. Mr. J. McCombs, the member for Lyttelton, is president of the new organisation, and the Hon. J. T Paul is a member of the committee, but no other member of Parliament is included among the officials. So far the ic-construction has not attracted much attention, even in the ranks if l.ubor, and many level-headed workers are frankly sceptical over the ability of Mr. •T. McCombs and his committee c.o arouse more than a. half-hearted interest in social questions while the war is engrossing public attention. A LABOR VIEW, A former active worker in Labor circles, who still retains his interest in "the cause,'' when seen thjs morning said he considered the time wholly inopportune for inaugurating a fresh political agitation. He was not concerned for ihe National Cabinet, which, he thought, had fallen far short of the expectations of its friends; but he was concerned for the workers themselves, who were being urged hither and thither by n litle body of self-constituted guides whose good intentions were no excuse for their disregard of fact. He could subscribe to almost every plank in the rew party's platform, and when the war was not he would make as much noise as the next man, but he was not going to help in splitting the workers up into serjarate camps so that they could be defeated in detail when the time for action came. "What," he asked, "is the use of talking about spending millions on State banks, State shipping services, State mines, State factories and State farms, when we want every shilling we have to help in thrashing the Germans? We ought to have got these things ten or fifteen years ago when they were within our reach, but now they must wait till wc have finished with i lie job we. have on hand." Probably this, roughly, is the view of the great najority of the workers. They are not contented with things as they are, but they see the futility of attempting to mend them to-day or even to-morrow. LAND FOR SOLDIERS. There is a growing feeling both inside and outside of Parliament that the Gov eminent is not doing all it might do and all it should do in the way of providing land for returned soldiers. Mr. Massey, who never wearied of girding at the Land for Settlements Act when he was sitting on the other side of the House, now seems to regard that measure as the only available means for obtaining suitable land for the men coming back from the war. It is true the amending measure of this session gives him some additional powers in the acquisition of land, and there is no reason to suppose he does not intend to make use of them; but he is moving altogether too slowly, and nii'ny of the men who were contemplating the rural life are now turning towards other occupations. Mr. R. W. Smith, the member for Waimarino, paid a well-deserved compliment to Mr. G. H. McClure. the Wellington Commissioner, in this respect on Friday night, and the Prime Minister would be well advised to detach Mr. McClure for this special service under the direction of the Minister of Agriculture during the next year or two. THE RELIGIOUS OBJECTOR. There has been a good deal of talk during the week-end about the attitude of Ministers towards the proposal to exempt, religious objectors from bearing arms under the provisions of the Military Service Bill. When the Bill was passing through the House the Minister of Defence himself submitted an amendment intended to meet the case of the rcl'iiion's objector, but, though it was supported by several of his colleagues, it was rejected by a substantial majority. When the measure reached the Council, Sir Francis Bell, the Minister vepresenting the Government there, introduced a more stringent clause, which to all appearance would have left no room for the escape of the "shirker,' and this was adopted by the Council under the impression that it represented the matured view of the' Cabinet. But when the amendment came back for consideration by the House Mr Allen to the astonishment of everyone not in the confidence of Ministers moved its rejection and again received the support of his colleagues Probably the matter will be. finally settled before these lines appear in print, but at the moment people are wondering what really is the mind of the Government in reference to the question. One speculation is that at the conference between the representatives of the two Houses a clause will be agreed to that will save the faces of both partes. If so, it will have to be a marvel of constructive ingenuity.