A Conference on the subject of labour representation was opened in the Memorial Hall, London, to-day. The conference was convened by the Parliamentary Committee of the Trade Unions Congress, acting upon instructions given by the last Trade Unions Congress at Plymouth, and invitations to send delegates were issued to the trade unions and co-operative societies of the United Kingdom, the Independent Labour party, the Social Democratic Federation, and the Fabian Societies. The invitations were accepted by all the various organisations with the exception of the Co-operators╒ Union, who, in the absence of any mandate from their last annual conference, were unable to pledge their organisations. Preliminary meetings were held by selected representatives of the various organisations, and the following scheme of labour representation drawn up for consideration by the Conference:
╥The election of men to the House of Commons sympathetic with the aims and demands of the labour movement, with the formation of a distinct labour group in Parliament with their own Whips, and agreeing upon a policy which must embrace a readiness to co-operate with any party which for the time being may be engaged in promoting legislation in the direct interests of labour, and be equally ready to associate themselves with any party in opposing measures having an opposite tendency.╙
They further proposed that an executive committee should be appointed, to consist of twelve representatives for trade unions, ten for the co-operative societies (providing they were represented at the conference), two for the Fabian Society, two for the Independent Labour party, and two for the Social Democratic Federation, the members to be elected by their respective organisations. The duty of the committee was defined as the collecting of information respecting candidates pledged to support the policy of the labour group and to recommend the united labour party to support them.
