NEW POLITICAL LEAGUE.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1919, Page 4

NEW POLITICAL LEAGUE.

AGAINST THE PRESENT MBttSTßlfi By Telegraph.—Press Association, Wellington, Yesterday. * The Ohristchurch Star report* that * new political party, known as "Th§ People's League," U being formed at Christchurch. A committee is engaged in drawing up a programme, As toon as this is completed public meeting* will be held and branches formed throughout the Dominion. The League trill not be connected with any political party, and candidates will be required \o give a pledge to vote against alt members of the present Ministry. The policy of the league will be to consolidate thewage-earning classes with tho object of improving their conditions and dealing with the cost of living. It is hoped to embrace the moderate Labor element in the league.

THE LEAGUE'S PLATFORM. EXPOSURE AND PUNISHMENT W PROFITEERS. Christchurch, Last Night Two of the main movers in tie Peopla'e League are Messrs Andrew Pairbairn (who was a member of the Cost of Living Commission) and 3. B. Strutters. A statement of the objects of the league sets out that it is an organisation of lawabiding citizens who believe in defßOSratis constitutional government, sad tti opposed to secretly arranged notion inimical to public interests designed by combinations in restraint of trade, profiteers and strike organisers. The league. Is established in the interests of all classes' of Labor, and is desirous of bringing about a better understanding between all sections of the community, .', ■ . s, >'. Minimum wages, it says,'must not be subjected to commercial competition, and should go hand in hand with the cost of living and must provide for a reasonable standard of comfort, but no artificial obstacles should be placed in the way of workers to improve their position to life. Incontrovertible evidence exists that war profiteering has been operating with the full knowledge of both the Maassy Government and the Coalition Government. Through their failure to sacette, by ©rdcr-in-Council, the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Act; 1914, in its entirety people bave been prevented from using the law courts to obtain redress from profiteers.

The league demands: (a) That the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Act be gazetted in Its entirety to cover all commodities and be made retroupwtivVto August 10, 1914; (b) that all profiteer* within the meaning of the Act be prou • cuted, that all proved war profit* be coßt fiscated and paid to reduce, the war debt, and that the guilty parties be punished as provided for in section 14. The league demands that the present Board of Trade, which has proved itself incapable of protecting the people from profiteering, be abolished, and a new board be constituted with a competent personnel concerned with the coniunwa' interest*, the new board to have statutory powers, to take evidence and compel subpoenaed witnesses to produce books and documents when investigations are necessary. After advocating the reconstltutlon of the chambers of commerce and the giving to them of statutory powers to institute prosecutaons for profiteering and breaches of the Weights of Pood and Commercial Trusts Acts, and the licensing of all business the statement proceeds; "The eague pledges itself to uphold the abs> lute freedom of trade within the Dominion, and demands an amendment to the Commercial Trusts Art preventing suppliers or combinations of trader, from .fixing the selling prices with penal conditions and othor methods practised for the public"" increasin S prices to the

Jn conclusion the league- nrotent* bemg conferred upon men who , t served outsuie New Zealand, and against the mggardly and unsympathetic C ment of sohW who have served overseas. It advocates a sound system of defence, but is against compulsory service m peace ltme. •' Bvr,,w