Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-01-03
Declaration Says DemobiIiza-
ton of Troops Must Be Pro-
vided For BY Government
to Avoid Chaos.
SURPLUS WEALTH MUST
BE USED FOR PEOPLE
Old Social Order, Involving
Waste and Injustice, Cannot
Be Restored After Coming of
Peace, is Statement.


London, Jan. Universal enforce
mcnt of minimum wage law demo-
cratic control or industry; a revolu-
ton in national finance and the sur
plus wealth used for the common
good-these are the four cardinal
points of the labor reconstruction
policy after the war as submitted in n
draft report of the British labor party
prepared by a subcommittee of tTe
executive committee for submission at
the party conference next June, or be-
fore, should a general election render
it necessary The report declares that
what has to be reconstruction after
the war is not this or that govern
ment department or social machinery
by socialism itself"
"Tf," the report says, 1--WE are to
escape the decay of civilization itself,
which the Japanese statesman, Count
Okuma (former premler), foresees,
we must ENSURE the building up Of
new social ORDER .
No Plans Formulated.
Regarding democratic control Of in
dustry, the report complains that
neither the government nor either Of
the great political parties has yet
! formulated any plans for dealing with
/ the rehabilitation of the millions of
soldiers and says:
amy government allowing dis
charged soldiers or munition workers
To fall into the clutches of charity or
the poor law would be instantly driven
from office by an outburst of popular
Indignation. The labor party has re-
fused absolutely to believe that the
British people will permanently toll
crate any reconstruction or the per-
kpetuaton of the disorganization,
waste and inefficiency involved in
their abandonment to a jostlng crowd
of separate private employers, with
minds bent not on the service of the
community, but, by the very law OF
their being only on the utmost pos
sible profiteering.
Must Limit Private Control.
THE labor party holds that what
Iever may have been the shortcomings
tof government importation and con-
troll it has demonstrahly prevented
lot of profiteering. Nor can it end
Immediately on the declaration OF
t'peace.
THE people will be extremely fool
! ish if they ever allow indispensable
Industries to slip back into the un-
fettered control of private capitalists
who are actually, at the instance or
the government itself now rapidly
combining, trade by trade, into mo-
nopolistic trusts.
After definitely repudiating all pro-
posals for a protective tariff, the Ia
Dor party program calls for more
warmth in politics and much less
apathetic acquiesence in existing mis-
cries.
The report suggests a minimum
wage of 30 shillings weekly as the
very lowest statutory base line for the
least skilled adult workers and that
the hours of labor, wherever practi-
cable, should not exceed As weekly.
Demobilization Problem.
1t urges that the government should
prepare for the rehabilitation period
all kinds of public works, including
the building of millions of new cot
tages for the re-housing of the popu
laton.
The reports demands the removal
Of all wartime restrictions on free
dom of ships and publication and de-
cares against the continuance of con-
scripton moment longer than is i'm
peratively required by the war 1t in
ssts upon the abolition of the house
of lords and strenuously opposes any
new second chamber. 1t demands also
the naturalization of the land, rail-
ways, mines and the production Of
electrical power and urges the taking
of the manufacture and sale of al
cholic liquors out of the hands of
private enterprises whose interest is
to promote the utmost possible con-
r sumption"
5 State War Aims.
= The report concludes by stating that
r the party seeks no increase of territ
tory and disclaims all idea Of an eco
: | nomic war.
I'VE stand" says the report, "foi
= the immediate establishment, as par
lof the treaty of peace, of universal
{ league or society of nations, a super
national authority with an interna