LIBERAL POLICY.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 October 1922, Page 5

LIBERAL POLICY.

PLANKS IN THE PLATFORM. PEACE PROBLEMS FIRST. London, Oct. 24. The Manchester Liberal Federation, which has hitherto frequently been used as an instrument for broadcasting the Liberal policy on the eve of elections, has issued a manifesto containing an important declaration of policy. The first plank is peace, including whole-hearted support of the League of Nations, progressive disarmament with guarantees consistent with the League’s ideal, no costly foreign adventures, exclusive alliances or secret treaties, reduction of the German indemnities to a practicable figure, an agreement for the cancellation of inter-Allied debts.

The second plank is free trade, including the repeal of the Safeguarding of Industries Act.

The third plank refers to economy and the reduction of the national burden, including the redaction of the tax on tea, sugar, and other articles of universal consumption, and a free breakfast table. The main economies must be securable from peace disarmament, and the reduction of commitments in the Near East and elsewhere. There must be no panicky cutting down of essential services, instancing education and public health, and there must be a revival and revision of the Liberal land policy, which was abandoned by the late Government.

The fourth plank is social reforms, which can be undertaken without becoming an unreasonable national burden. a sane progressive policy of public health and education, which is necessary for national efficiency. Wise expenditure on these would be more than repaid by national efficiency and the reduction of the cost of dealing with crime and disease.

Fifthly: Industrial peace by the substitution of co-operation for domination either by capital or labor, communal responsibility ensuring that unemployed workers be maintained without taint of pauperism, which would be accomplished by a system of insurance by the industries; the maintenance of trade boards to prevent sweating, working towards an adequate minimum wage: power for leasing mines to be used so as to forward the reorganisation of the industry, a national industrial council of control, representing employers and employed, to be legally established. Sixthly: Constitutional reforms, including 'equal political rights for men and women, the abolition of hereditary lords; the prevention of the sale o-f honors; the impartial distribution of honors; electoral reform so as to reflect fairly the balance of opinion in the country.