THE LABOUR CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9137, 13 July 1908, Page 5

THE LABOUR CONFERENCE.

AMENDED FIGHTING PLATFORM.

BRISBANE, July 11. The Labour Conference has concluded.

It approved a scheme as a basis of adjustment of the financial relations between the Commonwealth and the States, which provides that the proportion of revenue allocated to the Commonwealth must be sufficient to cover all existing expenditure, aparc from reproductive services, and cover old-age and invalid pensions throughout the Commonwealth; also for an additional sum, not to exceed a million, to ( meet the expanding necet<sities of the Commonwealth Government, such as the creation of a FeJeral capital, railway undertakings, and development of the Northern Territory. The amounts to be returned to the States to be fixed on a per capita basis, with a further capitation allowance to Westralia (the latter gradually diminishing to the level of that of the other States), owing to the exceptional position of Westralia.

An amended fighting platform was adopted. It contains the following nine planks: Maintenance of a White Austral ir. New Protection. ' Nationalisation of monopolies. Graduated tax on unimproved land values. A citizen defence force, A Commonwealth Bank. Restriction of public borrowing. Navigation laws. An Arbitration Act Amendment. A resolution wab carried expressing sorrow at Mr J. C. Watson's retirement irom politics, and appreciation of his great services to the Labour movement.