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Show STHT1 CAUSE I OF M BEST! National Conference Called in London to Promote War Against" Pbveiiy. NEW LAWS NEEDED Legislation Dealing With- the Adoption of Legal Minimum ' Wage Scale Is Urged. . BY PHILLIP EVERETT. Special Cable to Tho Tribune. LONDON, Aug. SI. Surely nowhero Is a war against poverty needed more than in this city, where deaths from (starvation (starva-tion In the East End are the ordor of tho day and where the pen of a Dante would not suffice to describe the horrors and misery of tho poverty-stricken who aro lo bo found almost everywhere within a slono's throw from tho mansions of the rich. Tho war Is to bo declared very soon, for the Joint committee of th Independent Independ-ent Labor party and the Fabian society Is calling a national conference on October Octo-ber 11 to promote "war against poverty" In connection with the demand tliat parliament par-liament should devote the whole- of next session to tho consideration and passing of measures to raise the standard of life for working people. The conference, which will rjc held In tho Memorial hall, will consider demands for legislation dealing with a legal minimum min-imum wage, reduction of hours of labor, complete provision against sickness, national na-tional minimum of child nurture, prevention pre-vention of unemployment, healthful homes for all and the abolition of the poor law. Will Contest Seats. In view of the government's franchise bill becoming a law, and the uncertainty which will afterwards exist as to the numerical strength of tho respective parties, par-ties, tho executives of the Labor and Socialist parties have Jointly decided that as many seats as possible shall be contested con-tested at the next olectlon. Steps aro being taken to place upwards of 150 labor candidates In the field. Triangular Tri-angular contests will bo encouraged wherover there may bo a snorting chance of a labor candidate defeating a liberal or conservative. In any case, It Is. felt that tho Increase In the voting strength of the oloctorate. In tho event of tho government's bill becoming a law, demands de-mands a corresponding attempt on the part of tho labor party to contest every industrial constituency in tho United Kingdom. Members of all trade unions havo been advised to select tho men whom thoy think would be the best fitted to offer a sood fight. So far the response has shown that the local secretaries of miners, min-ers, railroad servants, and transport workers' unions havo signified their wlll-IngneSB wlll-IngneSB to come forward as representatives representa-tives of their own Industries. It Is further Btated that the nationalization national-ization of mines and railroads, drastic modification of the old-age pensions and Insurance acts, and an agrarian policy, will be Included In the labor "platform." Oppose Suffrage. "Mr. Asquith, who has always been very strongly opposed to woman suffrage, ia now more convinced than ovor that women wom-en and politics should bo kept permanently perma-nently separated. Some time ago he listened to the entreaties of lIrs. Asquith As-quith and consented to make her brother, broth-er, Mr. Tcnnant, who Is a member of tho house, under secretary of state for war. Ho had hardly done so when the radical wing of tho government party mado a rush for him and Informed him that tho appointment was a very serious mistake, and ho had to promise to mako amends at the earliest passible moment. Mr. Tcnnant Is thcrcforo vory shortly to bo sent to the house of lords, whero a representative rep-resentative of tho war department is needed. |