THE SOCIALIST CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8519, 26 August 1907, Page 4

THE SOCIALIST CONFERENCE.

COLONIAL POLICY. AN UPROAR. BERLIN, August 23. Amid great confusion and uproar, the Socialist Conference voted on the colonial question contrary to expectation,the Extremists defeating a resolution giving modified support to colonial policy. Amid deafening applause and wild cheering, the Extremists carried, by 127 to 108, a resolution denouncing capitalist colonisation, as leading to conquest, exploitation international misunderstanding, enslavement of native races. The English delegates, who were allowed 20 votes, gave 14 for and 6 against the resolution, which was carried. Mr Ramsay Mac Donald advocated a moderate policy. He argued that an international understanding on the chief points of colonisation would prove harmless, since Socialists in Parliament could see that a Government kept its word. Received August 25, 4.33 p.m. BERLIN, August 24. An inspired Socialist resolution invites all unions to maintain their relations with the international bureau. M. Vaillant explained that it was impossible for French Socialism to accept the resolution in view of the fact that the trades unions movement in France had a co-operative and revolutionary character. ! The majority of the Congress, after a long debate on the question of immigration of workmen, adopted an immigration resolution recomirending the prohibition of immigrants who entered into contracts depriving them of the liberty to dispose of their labour. Resolutions of inordinate length recommend legislation with regard to wages, shorter hours, sweating, sanitary living conditions, greater latitude in connection with the laws of naturalisation, and many other subjects. The English' delegates abstained from voting. Mr Kromer, the Australian delegate, informed the Congress that a "* clairvoyant gave an extraordinary forecast of the future, which an interpreter preferred not to translate. The Congress adopted a resolution rejecting restricted female suffrage declaring that all Socialists would be obliged to fight energetically for universal women's suffrage. Received August 25, 4.33 p.m. BERLIN, August 24. There was almost a free fight at. the Stuttgart Conference owing to the British delegates interrupting the • proceedings through the debate on trades unions being closured before • they were allowed to speak. After the wildest disorder, a large majority approved of resolutions declaring that. it was in the interests of the working class to establish close relations with trades unions and Socialist parties, and expressing the opinion that they would be better able to conduct the struggle against oppression if the organisations were unified.