LABOUR'S CANDIDATE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 6, 14 September 1943, Page 5

LABOUR'S CANDIDATE

MR W. W. JONASEN'S CAMPAIGN

WHAKATANE ELECTORS

MEETING

VOTE OF THANKS & COXFIDKNCI-:

To some 300 electors in the Caledonian Hall, Mr W. W. Jonasen, the official Labour candidate for the Bay of Plenty electorate, gave warm endorsement to Labour's social legislation of the past and sought to show the even greater benefits which would follow the Government's re-election to office. He

envisaged Government houses equipped with radio, electric washing machines and refrigerators as part of their permanent

fixtures and claimed that we were only on the fringe of Social Security. He was accord ted a hearty vote of thanks and confidence. Mr N. S. Major occupied the chair.

"Opening his address Mr Jonason said that as he was a comparative .stranger to Wbakatane he would sketch briefly his public life. He had had sixteen years in the school teaching profession and sixteen years in business. He had served many vears on school committees as secretary of the local Production •Council ami had taken an active Interest, in all matters connected with the public life of hits community. He hoped to have the privilege of serving the Hay ol P.eniy •as he had the people of his own •district. He went on to say that Labour Tiad hoped to avoid an election whilst the Avar was on but. -although Mr Fraser had achieved, the ideal •with the set up of the War Administration Council it had collapsed ■when overshadowed by the calamity of the coal strike. He roundly • condemned the withdrawal o( the ".National Party delegates describing

Daily Press Attacked Vehemently attacking what lie described as 'tory press' lie instanced -case, of exaggeration ami di:>paragoinont "which ho alleged had been made by the daily papers of his own town, in order to distort a true report or a correct position. Labour to-day had definitely to light the press which too long had been dominating the people. It was going to be a liard fight but obviously it would have to Ik* done if people Ave re to be told the truth and given the right interpretation of Labour's enactments. Labour's War Effort The war effort of the Dominion under Labour's administration, he •described as superb. Canada had •described New Zealand as the 'mighty atom' of the Empire. No less than 1(50,000 people hud 'been taken out of industry and trained for war purposes—yet the country was actually producing more that it did in pre-war days. The answer was simply that,, people ■who had hitherto been living in retirement were now ba;-k on the farms aiid in the factories while ■school children and college boys who would bo otherwise completing -their education were giving a hand. The farmer of New Zealand had Avon the admiration of the world. He, the candidate reaiised that at times they had.come near breakingpoint owing to labour shortage and also that they hadn't been able to* their farms in the way they should be maintained.

In Munition Factories

Oil tiie other hand there were girls working in war production factories who were doing an even greater service. He instanced one factory, where the girls were forced to dress -completely in rubber clothing, which likewise had to be. discarded four times during the day because of the action of the fumes and chemicals in which they worked. If they were not careful their skin cracked and corroded under the .same influences. Would any farmer like to change places with these girls. He thought not.

New Zealand. to-day Avas manufacturing lionib fuses, mills bombs, trench mortars, ammunition of all kinds and also equipment. Her shipbuilding achievements were likewise terrific. During the last war the l)o----miniton had not shouldered any of these tilings. The. (Government forgot its men once they were outside the 3-mile limit.

To-day however the army was clothed and equipped' in the Dominion. Take away the tailormade uniform of the American Marine and the New Zealand soldier was the best dressed fighting man in the world 1 .

People who alleged that the country was over-committed, as far as its manpower was. concerned should look about them. There were still many more men, lit and eligible for army training who could be drafted into the armed forces at a pinch. Those who were saying that we had sent too many men abroad were only governed by the semblance of victory which was shaping overseas. If the war situation was not so bright they would be urging that more nTen be sent. Peace Talks Speaking of the subsequent peace tal'iviS following the defeat of the Axis powers, lie asked who the electors would sooner see representing New Zealand Syd Holland and Fred Doidgc or Peter Fraser and Walter Nash. The choice was obvious!

With regard to having the defeated natrons at such conference, he said it was in the interests of the (security of the world that, they should be there. If they were excluded we would have a repetition of the farce, of Versailles over again. The main thing would be trade and he d.id not think with CI real Britain now producing (j'2 per cent of her total requirements that the .same markets would be open to New Zealand as before- the war. What was going to happen then. He instanced the crimi'mil destruction of foodstuffs in the States, in. order to maintain a price: level and added that in New Zealand even the farmers of the. South Island urged the Government not so long ago to destroy (i0,(!0() carcases of beef. This would not be repeated. The world's surplus production for the next 10 or lo years would go to the devastated areas, to build up the populations of the. new Europe. An international produce pool would be set iii]) in America and ii New Zealand had. a quantity of .surplus butter, it would, be allocated by this pool to any country most vitally in need of it, not for what it was worth on the market but for what that country could a fiord and at what time it eou'd pa\. Social Security Speaking of Social Security he said that the allegation by the National Parly that it was just so much added to the existing old age legislation was—liuey. In the same way it was impossible for National to promise to give more Social* Security and take, less lor it. As a nation however wc were only on the fringe of what could be done by Social Security.

What had happened in the past. The medical profession, backed by the powerful 13.M.A. was in the habit of charging up to £120 for an operation, forty and fifty guineas were commonplace. Crippling the working classes until many had gone bankrupt under the unequal burden of rearing a family and' meeting such ridiculous expenses. Twentyseven years ago lie had. propounded a scheme for the nationalisation of doctors urging that they should, be put on a full time service and on a lull time salary. This w;is only fair. It took no more to ma'ce a man into a mechanic than into a doctor. It was just a matter of study. A voice: Don't be Uncle Willie ? Many Abuses Social Security would be enlarged and built upon. He realised, there were many abuses, but . they coukl be overcome. The money in the ease

of a man who .simply turned it into an occasion for celebration would be paid to the wife and perhaps in goods equivalent, it was given to assist in the homes. How many wives in thi's country were to-day receiving no wages at all. He. ventured to say that in 10 years every woman would be receiving the basic wage; whether under Labour's regime or not. Say a man earned £1., his wife £2 and £1 for each of three children. Thus a family of live would receive £1) income meeting. That was fair!

He. suggested that the people when on animal leave should, be given the free use of tlie railways. They were the peoples property and should, be used as such. Atiain the £2,000,000 surplus now in the. war damage insurance fund could be devoted towards damage sustained by earthquake, lire or Hood or to offset the losses in stock from facial execma, tubercular cows, or ruined

fruit crops. Apart from hospital bench Is ho believed that the dental service also could be brought under Social Si.» curity. Rehabilitation Labour was the only Government which could rehabilitate the men returning from abroad, on a fair basis. lie Instanced the great handicaps which the men faced in JS) 1S and condemned the money wastage involved.

Soldiers back from the war, flushed. with victory should be given a free rail pass for three months and put on lull pay in order to enjoy a well-earned holiday. Some would say the money could not be found. If it was needed for war it would be. found.

The* Land Sales Act only aimed al fair treatment for tin 1 soldier. He instanced three large estates in the Bay of Plenty electorate cnbracing 9000, 30,000 and 45,000 acres respectively. Each of these could be broken up into .small farms for soldier set' tiers and. would be serving a much better purpose, than remaining in their present undeveloped state. In settling the men on the land. Labour was prepared to Finance the whole of the cost. Monetary Control He claimed that Labour ulready controllcd the monetary situation to a satisfactory degree. The Govern-* ment fixed the rate of interest and no bank could call lip overdraft except under the most flagrant circumstances. They could not lend money without the Government's approval. The Reserve Bank had been used to finance the State houses. To-day they were producing a million pounds annually in rent. The only error they made was in letting the building of those houses to private contractors. If the Government had built them from a state, department the cost would have been less. A voice: I don't think. Mr Jonasen concluded by stilting that he had never fallen down on a job yet and would if elected be prepared to give, the district a fulltime service. He hoped to be able to prove this after the election.