THE UNITED LABOR PARTY

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3546, 10 June 1912, Page 5

THE UNITED LABOR PARTY

“ITS AIMS AND OBJECTS.” ADDRESS BY HON. G. FOWLDS. “The Aims and Objects of the United Labor Party” were dealt with at some length by the Hon. Geo. Fowlds at Whim-ay’s Hall oli Saturday night. The Mayor presided, and there was a fairly large attendance. The Mayor, in introducing Mr. Fowlds, said that it afforded him great pleasure to be present. They had assembled to hear Mr. Fowlds, who was a great thinker and an able speaker- Three years ago Mr; Fowlds visited Gisborne, so he was not unknown! to those present, and l the subject he was t-o speak upon had been occupying the attention of able men throughout the world. The Hon. Mr. Fowlds said that for the last five weeks he: bad been travelling up and down New Zealand, and when in tram, train, and steamer he sometimes heard amusing if not perhaps useful criticism of himself as a public man. and the United Labor Party, under whose auspices he had been speaking. Ttlip. press of New Zealand were always taking notice of what he was doing, and he was very thankful to them for the liberal treatment they had accorded him in the various centres in whicQi- lie had spoken. When, down South some time ago he saw the following paragraph In the Dunedin Star of May 18th last: — “When all is said and done Mr. Fowlds’ explanations will not, we fear, save him .from the charge that by resigning at the time he did he treated his party very shabbily. The most awkward part of the w-liole affair, for him, is that for so long he remained a member of a Ministry which not only failed to accept many of bis important principles, but actually came to decisions which were quite contrary to them. Under all the circumstances we are afraid the Labor Party will find that Mr. Fowlds is no longer a great political power in the land.” This was quoted from the Gisborne Times. He could not think why the Labor Party of Gisborne asked him here to give an address on the “Aims and Objects of the United Labor Party” after being told so plainly that he was no longer a great political power ip the land. But newspapers did not know everything. The editor of the Gisborne Times probably told them that if they adopted the system of rating on unimproved l values the whole bottom would go out of the town- From the appearance of Gisborne it had not gone back ver— much since he was here three years ago, and he did not think the system of rating on unimproved values had done very much to retard the progress of the place. There w r ere still some people who told them that it was necessary to tax their houses the same as they taxed Chinamen, so as to make them as scarce as possible—this was the only reason why they were taxed. The New Party.

Referring to his travels in the South, Mr. Fowlds said that he was glad ,to say that he found very keen interest in the aims, ideals, and prospects of the United Labor Party. At some of his meetings old people came in .long distances, who for forty years or more had always voted for the Liberals, but they thought it had lost its vim and fire, and had lost sight of a good many of the most important principles of Liberalism, and if the country was to progress it was necessary for the party to keep more in harmony with the spirit of the age in w-hich they lived. These old people were perfectly satisfied with the United Labor Party, as it wa s coming at a time when a new party was necessary. Personally lie was somewhat sorry to lose the old Liberal name, because he had been brought up in Liberal politics. He recognised that some valuable work had been done by Liberalism in New Zealand, but he had also to admit that the Liberal Party had grown weary of well-doing and was no longer a party animated by the principles of Sir George Grey and John Ballance. The Liberal party which he left last September was not by any means the Liberal party he joined five years ago. He was sorry the explanation he gave when he left did not satisfy the editor of the Gisborne Times, because he thought it was sufficiently clear and ought to have satisfied any ordinary mind. The Government had not changed, though the personnel had changed, but from a Liberal and progressive point of view it was retrograde and did net comprise the progressive people he wished to work with, so he took the only course. He had no persona] quarrel with his colleagues, and he felt sure it would be better to leave the Ministry and have a free hand. . A voice; So as to serve the working Mr- Fowlds: So that I could serve my follow-men. .... Continuing, Mr. Fowlds said that if he had retained his seat till after the o-eneral election, the only thing would have been to hand in- bis resignation if hb 'had been elected on a new platform, and that seemed to him an unnecessary proceeding. He did not expect his resignation would have had the effect it did and would have been used in such an unscrupulous may. He took the only course open to’ him, hut ihe stood by at the election defending the party because -hev were being blamed for things of which they were not guilty, and he would have been a cur had he not defended them. The Labor party was coming into existence. and they were not to make any mistake about it, for they had been organising for some time past and were going to 1 create that par-y. With reference to the contention which he made that the Liberal party bad retrogressed, thev had only to consider the fact that at the presen time both political parties claimed that they were the onto true Liberal party inTNew Zealand, and the time was not far distant when there would be only two' parties in the House one the Liberal Party and the otliei the United Labor Party. _ This was practically what resulted in -he Australian States, and they expected the same result in this countiy Living in a Name.

The existence of a party living on a name was no new thing in the world and he quoted instances in America, where parties had changed their attitude on political questions, but still retained their original name. This was -what was happening in New Zealand, and ■the Labor Party, came into existence because no political party represented pure political democratic principles.

Those who were Reactionary would gradually go into another camp. The Labor party was not merely a party of manual labor, though their opponents would try to make them appear so- When they made an appeal they expected to have it responded to by workers in the country as well as the town--by professional people and by men and women workers. The party would make for efficient citizenship "and it was out as far as possible for,a more equal distribution, of toe profits of labor. He had nothing to do with the form of organisation, and waited until .after the conference m the Labor party at Wellington before deciding to throw in his lot with tlie United Labor Party. Therefore he was not responsible for the form of organisation or the platform'. It was a most complete organisation, and lie could accept the platform with much less difficulty or reservation than he could accept a great deal that was set under the name of the old Liberal party. He explained the manner in which the party was organised, and said it would he comprised of useful people of identical interests who would stand shoulder to shoulder in fighting what might be expressed as monopoly and privilege. Dealing with Education Reform as outlined l in the National platform, Mr Fowlds said that Labor and democracy demanded an educated people. In these days, when the Press of every land was becoming to sucli an extent a. capitalistic organ, it was more and more important that every man should see through its sophistry if nothing worse.

A large section of it was busy forging chain's of human slavery. Only an educated democracy would be able to withstand such a press. He was in accord with free and secular State education, with compulsory attendance up to the age of 15 years, and with the necessary books and stationary supplied free by the Department. Regarding the electoral plank in the platform be knew of nothing that a democracy needed more than proportional representation. At every election in this country 46 per cent of the people 111110 took the trouble to go to the polling booth failed to secure the return of the member they wished, and it would just have been as well, if they had stopped at home. He pointed cut the system of preferential voting would give fairer representation than the present method. The elector would put numbers 1,2, 8,4, 5 and so on against the candidates’ names, indicating the order of his or her preference- From this an absolute majority would be computed. If no candidate had an actual majority on the first preference, the candidate at the bottom of the poll would be taken out and his votes added in. proportion to the leading candidates, and the process would he repeated, if necessary, until an actual majority had! been gained-by one candidate. Every vote would then have its value. Regarding the establishment of a State bank with the sole right of note issue, this was working satisfactory in the Commonwealth, and there was no reason why it should not be started.

Planks Reviewed. In connection with the endowment of motherhood and pensions for widows, orphans, the blind and incurably helpless, this would! involve a substantial expenditure, but it would be justified. Nobody would think of going back on the old age pensions. 'Regarding the provision to be made for public defenders as well as public prosecutors, while it was right to punish the guilty if justice was the ideal of the State, it was equally important that the -State should take precautions not to punish the innocent. In connection with the (State entering into competition with private enterprise, he pointed out how the State Fire Office had reduced the rates by 33) per cent, and at present it was on a fair basis. He dealt at length with the question of land and taxation and. pointed out how they had increased the unimprovedl value of the land daring the last nineteen years. He contended if there were an additional Id in the £ put on the land they would be able to make a remission in customs duty to the consumers of 18s 9d per head, or £4 13s 9d per family of father, mother and three children. The Labor party was only asking for justice and hoped to get- the assistance of all. After answering a number of questions a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Fowlds, proposed by Mr J. C. E. Turner, and seconded by Mr D- W. Coleman, was carried unanimously.

“MOSES, THE GREATEST LABOR LEADER.’

YESTERDAY’S MEETING

The attendance at yesterday’s meeting in His Majesty’s Theatre numbered close on 200. Mr J. C E- Turner, president of the Trades and Labor Council, presided, and gave the Hon. G. Fowlds a suitable introduction to the audience. The speaker was well received, and his convincing manner of speech was not long in appealing to those present. As a preamble, lie touched on -the subject of the duty of the Church in regard to social and economical work. Some said that the Church was a spiritual organisation and should not touch on social and economical questions, and others held an opposite view Both the extremes were inert and the true duty lay in the middle. He agreed that the Church was primarily a spiritual institution, the same as man was a. spiritual being. Man antagonised anything going against liis spiritual and mental hfo, and, in the same way, it was the duty of the church to antagonise anything working against social and economic progress. For his own part, he had tried to correlate his. business, religious and church life in the Church. There had been too great a tendency to shut up one’s spiritual life in a water-tight compartment. Throughout the Christian world of to-day, however, there was a recognition that religion must be something more than mere belief, and must be doing rather than saying- Christian people must be “up and doing” in the service of their generation. “The sound of labor unrest,” he continued, “is being heard all the world over. Even in New Zealand we have been standing and shuddering on the brink of an equally ruinous disturbance. The workers, after laboring and toiling for years,,find the products of their labors being.taken by the shirkers.” The Promised Land. Proceeding, the lion- gentleman went on to review the life and work of Moses, whom he termed “the greatest labor leader.” Lie did so interestingly, tracing the life of the great

loader of men and his bringing forth' of the children of Israel from the oppression of their taskmasters, to “the land flowing with milk and honey.” Although this great leader was not destined to take any part in ibis own legislation, he did the work so well as to rest content with viewing the promised land. He had heard it said that the only ..men to make land laws and fix land 'tenures and the like were those who' ploughed and worked the land, but this was as absurd as to say that’ a lawyer should bo apprenticed from a bookbinder. But at the same time, the man who had the practical knowledge and acquainted himself with the wants of men, would be of value to the Legislature. He did not propose to justify the workers with Moses, because they borrowed. Egyptian goods the night before the exodus, but they considered they deserved some of the products of their toil. One fundamental principle was generally lost sight of—that the advance in wages must ultimately be absorbed in rent, so long as the land speculator and’ monopolist was left in a position which, would enable him to collect everything except a bare living from the producer’s wealth. tie likened the conduct of the children of Israel to strikers wanting the strike “declared off,” and referred to the marvellous code of laws framed by Moses, in collaboration with his great Master. Particular reference was made to the law in regard to: dividing land. He did not contend-that the details of the Mosaic land laws could be applied to present conditions. But the underlying principles of the Mosaic land lavs were essential at any time or place. Although critics questioned the \ five books in the Bible credited to Moses —and' he had never laid claim to them —they had never succeeded in making the existence of Moses a; myth. A collection to cover the expenses of the Hon- G. Fowlds’ visit met with a generous response, and the customary votes of thanks brought the meeting to a close within am hour of its- beginning.