For Socialism and Peace

For Socialism and Peace THK British Labor Party, supremely confident that it will vvin^ the next election and form the next government, is carrying on an intensive "Forward to Socialism"...

...For that will smack of Socialism and the idea of the New Deal is to bolster up the price system -anil to aid human welfare only incidentally—not to place all the nation's natural and human resources at the disposal of the people who dwell therein...
...i To reform the procedure of the House of Commons, a Labor Government would ask the .Commons to set up, at the beginning of the session, a Committee on the Time Table of Legislation, which would allot a reasonable amount of time to bills iii the Governmental program...
...Provision would be made for a progressive increase of wages over a period of years...
...The corporation would cooperate with the publicly-owned Bank of England and a National Investment Board in furtherance of a policy of planned development of the national resources...
...Taxation Labor stands for direct, as against indirect, taxation...
...Industrial Legislation Under this heading a large number of immediute steps are indicated for safeguarding and improving the position of the workers, including radical changes in Workmen's Compensation, a new Factory Act, the 40.hours week, holidays with pay, regulation of overtime, and higher wages...
...No less a statesman than Secretary of Agriculture Wallace says so...
...Bearing in rjiind that there is letter than an even chance that the party will win the next election and form a government pledged to carry out the Program of Action, the document is Important, It is not a hypothetical discussion of what action to take under remotely possible eventualities, hut rather the statement of a party on the threshold of victory and power...
...Re-asserting Labor')* faith in democratic machinery of Government, the statement declares that the nation cannot afford to grapple with the problems of the twentieth century with the mechanisms of a period which confronted problems wholly different both in scale and nature, Behind the Scenes in Washington (Continued from Page One) principal objective...
...and be concerned with such matters as direct farming, drainage, reclamation, afforestation, research, etc...
...e) To adjust taxation in such a way that due provision is made for the maintenance and improvement of the material apparatus of industry, and that surpluses created by social effort shall be applied for the good of all...
...lay down general principles for the production, treatment and marketing of products...
...It is the only English publication of the parly ibat has provided this forum and the subject has been fully coveted by both sides...
...h) To secure to every member of the community the standards of life and employment necessary to a healthy, independent and selfrespecting existence, and to give equality of opportunity, both political and economic, to men and women alike...
...Iron and Steel A British Iron and Steel Corporation should be appointed by the president of the Board of Trade | The Board of Trade is not a private body but a department of the British Government...
...Where there are competing imports, the Labor Party accepts the principle of regulating imports, where necessary, through import boards...
...Among these hazards she included old age, sickness and injuries...
...It took five years of economic breakdown, millions of unemployed, untold suffering and starvation to come- to that which the Socialist rep)tsentative introduced in Congress eighteen years ago...
...Our best hope lies in the applicatio: of the principles of insurance...
...distress is meusured not by human suffering hut by prices, not by human welfare hut by profits...
...the revision of the system of inheritance taxes to prevent the perpetuation of great fortunes by unearned inheritance...
...To provide a reasonable standard of life for the farm worker, it is proposed to revise the present wage machinery so that the final word would rest with the National Wages Board...
...Suggest that production of farm products—as well as of manufactured goods—be for human welfare rather than for the profits of a few, and even the brainiest of the brain-trusters will throw a tit...
...the National Kxecutive publishes the following summary of the program: Alter an indictment of the failure of the "National" Government, and a reference to the futility of the Liberal Party, the statement declares that the choice before the notion is cither a ruin attempt to patch up the superstructure of a capitalist society in decay at its eery foundations, or a rapifjl "dvaitee to a Socialist reconstruction of the national life...
...W»l, better late than never...
...This would obviate waste of time while preserving the historic rights of an Opposition...
...Banking and Credit It is proposed that the Bank of England be brought under public control, and that the joint stock banks should he amalgamated into a single banking corporation run by a small directorate appointed by the Government...
...Not only did Congress not adopt London's bill, but even the American Fed erulion of Labor was against it...
...County Agricultural Committees would have power to farm where necessary...
...Water Supply The utilization of water requires should be controlled by a National Water Commission, and local water supply be undertaken by executive Regional Water Boards...
...Labor's Aims The aims of the Labor Party are set out briefly as:— (a) To establish peace, freedom and justice by removing from among the nations the root causes of international disputes, by conciliation and arbitration, by . renouncing war as an instrument of national policy, by disarmament, by political and economic cooperation through the League of Nations, and by agreements with states which are not yet members of the League...
...Ed.] to take over all undertakings manufacturing iron and steel products, from pig iron to finished goods...
...At the risk of being repetitious, I must repeat that many, many years ago a Socialist Congressman, Meyer London, introduced in Congress a social insurance program providing for economic security" of (he "victims of the hazards and vicissitudes of life," of which Miss Perkins speaks now...
...Italian exports have declined the first five months of this year lb per cent and imports have declined 1(1 per cent...
...Labor would seek to secure work for the unemployed by a bold program of public development...
...The statute creating the hoard would provide for taking over the railways and certain other major services forthwith, and for taking over the rest as and when found convenient...
...d) To extend rapidly and widely those forms of social provision— education, public health, housing, pensions and maintenance during unemployment—in the absence of...
...To Adolf and Benito Wi ;ire familiar with the fact that 1 ne Nazi capitalism of Germany is on the way to I he pawn shop Fascist capitalism in Italy is traveling the same road...
...The commission would see that the land was effectively managed and used...
...Henceforth the needs of the Socislist Party campaign must have first consideration...
...Benito and Adolf have similar troubles anil drastic wage reduction* in both countries will only help foster an anti-fascist revolution We await the time when the revolutionary masses in both coun(tri«» vill lead Adolf and Benito to P«dd( I cell...
...Banking and credit, transport, electricity, water, iron and steel, coal, gas, agriculture, textiles, shipping shipbuilding, engineering—in all these the time has come for drastic reorganization, and for the most part nothing short of i in mediate public ownership aud control will be effective...
...For Socialism and Peace THK British Labor Party, supremely confident that it will vvin^ the next election and form the next government, is carrying on an intensive "Forward to Socialism" campaign, seeking at least to <1 tthle the party's membership and vote...
...Labor also records its view that the Cabinet requires reconstruction, that a re-grouping of departmental functions is necessary, and that the time has come for a reorganization of the machinery and methods of local government...
...The Land and Agriculture Unified public ownership of the land to be carried out by means of a general enabling act giving the state power to acquire any land, rural or urban, at any time, and laying down the basis of compensation...
...No more letUis will be printed on this subject .nil we shall try lo make The New Leader nn effective propaganda instrument...
...ANNOUNCEMENT The New Leader lias for many weeks given much of this page to a discussion of the Detroit Declaration of Principles and about fifty letter* are still on hand...
...After second reading, hills would be sent to standing committees...
...FOR SOCIALISM AM) PEACE...
...There is no half-way li'iuxc...
...Commodity Boards would be set up...
...Throughout, however, the national Administration has sought not a mere restoration of the unreal prosperity of 192P, but a better economic arrangement which will not inevitably 'ead again to disaster...
...under the supervision of the commission, to arrange suitable contracts with producers, giving in return for sufficient and regular supplies either prices definitely fixed for a period, or varying within certain defined limits...
...In the heyday of the twent es, and even in the first yeais of the depression, it was popular to scoff at unemployment insujance as a 'dole...
...Parliamentary Government Given a majority, a Labor Government would interpret the mandate as confirming the right, particularly if the House of Lords seeks to wreck its essential measures, forthwith to proceed to the abolition of (hat Chamber...
...c) To convert industry, with due regard to the varying needs and circumstances of different sections, from a haphazard struggle for private gain to a planned national economy owned and carried on for the service of the community...
...The basis of compensation proposed in the case of transport is "net reasonable maintainable revenue," awd - a corresponding basis is proposed for other industries coming under public ownership...
...And there you have a picture of what passes for a civilization...
...Manifestly," Miss Perkins said, "we'should develop something better than the provisions we have made thus far for caring for the victims of the hazards and vicissitude- of life...
...Transport A National Transport Board should be set up to be responsible for the efficient planning and management of the national transport system, subject to general ministerial control...
...which the individual is the sport of economic chance and the slave of his environment...
...The deficit for the fiscal year is more than a billion lire in excess of estimates and a flight of capital has started...
...Dreadful Fear That Prices May Be Low rpiIK fearful drought that dried * up milium.- of acres of wheat and corn land, caused the death of millions of head of cattle and brought ucute distress to tens of millions of people is a calamity indeed...
...hut the significant fact now stands out that in rid country which has experimented with unemployment insurance has the system 'broken down...
...Economic Reorganization The statement proceeds to outline Labor's policy for economic reorganization...
...an overhaul of the graduation of income tax and surtax with a view to relieving smaller incomes and increasing the contribution from the larger...
...We may add that quite a number of our readers have urged us to discontinue the «li< ussion.—Editor...
...Electricity Supply industry A National Electricity Board should be established, to which would be transferred all the authorized undertakings for generation and distribution...
...All ugrieultmal land should be transferred to the nation as rapidly as possible...
...under the Minister of Agriculture, including representatives of farmers, farmworkers and consumers (including the cooperative movement...
...Every branch of the industry must be reorganized and full advantage taken of scientific discoveries...
...Privatelyowned generating plants would be taken over as and when desired...
...Party members are now voting on the Declaration and (he discussion must be confined to the branches...
...Unemployment After dealing with housing, rents and education, the statement declares tha,t the whole Labor program Would be coping directly with unemployment...
...But while its effects are bearing fruit, the proper treatment of the unemployed is a deibt which the nation should honor The maintenance of the unemployed must be a national charge...
...In a speech to dairy farmers in New Jersey Secretary Wallace lamented the fact that this year's drought will probably result in more extensive planting for 1935, in a bumper crop and in lower prices for farm products, than which there could be no greater calamity...
...Under the heading...
...It is not proposed that the commission should itself undertake farming, but should develop public farming corporations...
...and farm workers would be brought under the Unemployment Insurance Scheme...
...A National Agricultural Commission to be set Up...
...In connection with that campaign tile National Kxecutive has prepared a comprehensive statement of policy to be submitted to the forthcoming national convention of the party and after its adoption there it will l>c the parly's Program of Action upon the basis of which the election will be fought...
...Coal Unification under public ownership is the one effective method by which the industry, including the treatment of coal, can be rescued from the chaos of inefficiency...
...T< the economic measures already enacted, she pointed out, the President in his last message to Congress in June suggested "adding protection to the individual against the many hazards which are likely to involve him in distie's and dependency...

Vol. 17 • August 1934 • No. 33


 
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