THE CASE FOR LABOUR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 40, 21 October 1946, Page 5

THE CASE FOR LABOUR

MR R. BOORD’S CANDIDATURE

TOWN ELECTORS ADDRESSED TELLING SPIRITED SPEECH Mr Raymond Boord, the Labour candidate for the Bay of Plenty seat, opened his campaign in the Whakatane district last Friday when he addressed a large and attentive gathering estimated at 250 in the Caledonian Hall, and- was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence with no dissentient voices. Mr Boord proved himself a capable and forceful speaker, and though his initial speech may have been a little long he nevertheless held his audience and gave a telling record of the achievements of Labour whilst in office. The Mayor of Whakatane, Mr B. „S. Barry presided, and in introducing the candidate made, particular reference to his six years service overseas. Associated with him on the platform was Mr R. Riddell, chairman of the local branch of the Party. The meeting was one of the quietest political gatherings we have reported in Whakatane, and as far as /the audience was concerned there was little enough of applause until nearing the end when the speaker made a powerful appeal for Labour support. Only one question was asked at the conclusion.

No Carping Personalities

Opening his address Mr Boord

said that he. would like to make it clear that he wanted to keep the s whole campaign free of carping per- . sonalities. He was drawn into politics because he considered they should be waged on ideals and not for any other motive. He had joined the Labour Party

because he considered it could do

the best for the masses of the people -■over and above the prospects offered by any other party. He realised that ■ there might be those .present who disagreed with him but he hoped they would concede his right to his own opinion as he would concede it to them. * He stated that his effort that evening would be based on three major points (L) the conditions of the people in the country today; (2) an account of what the present Government had done and (3) what the Labour Government hoped still to -do if elected to office. By way of introducing the main body of his address Mr Boord traced the history of New Zealand’s 90 years of selfcontained Government until the rise of the Labour Party at the turn of the present century. From this inauspicious commencement this small party had made a sudden and swift rise to power foi- . lowing the slump. He went on to give the revolutionary effects • of . Labour’s first measures when elected to power in 1935. From the 79,500 unemployed (registered) in this country in 1933, the barometer r showed- an almost fully occupied nation in 1938. ..

Lessons from the Past He charged his hearers to take heed of the lessons of the past for it was the only true measure which the people of any country could go by. He showed the new order of things which began to assume their shape immediately. A guaranteed price was given to the farming com: munity, secondary industries was encouraged, a great Public Works programme was embarked on and for the first time in history the Government entered into the housing business. In 1935 the dairy farmers income was 15 millions. In 1945 it was 39| million and Labour’s whole policy to the farming commtmity had given the farmer for the first time security of income providing he could maintain his production. The great success of this policy had been borne out by the manner in which mortgages were being wiped off in unprecedented numbers. P.W.D. and Industry Speaking of the activities of the Public Works Department, he expounded at some length upon the magnificent achievements of this very active department. National assets had been created, he said, which would be all time monuments to the best Public Works Minister the country had ever known—Ptobert Semple. (Applause). During the ten years of Labour’s regime 1200 new industries had been founded giving employment to 38,000 extra workers. The great benefit accruing from this development was the manner in which the country was able' to respond to the emergency call of war. This country produced for the forces a million

battle dresses, 750,000 blankets, four million pairs of socks and dozens of other war lines all of .the finest quality.

Highest Wages on Record

Wages today were the highest ever known in this country. Jn 1935 the total wages bill was £65,000,000. Today it was £190,000,000 annually. Wages had almost trebled and this in spite of the 40 hour week. The production pef head in this country, he said, was enormous, and it was felt that the wage earner was entitled to a share in the new prosperity by way of shorter hours. Speaking of the State housing project he said that 21,000 of the finest houses ever built for workers had been constructed. In rebuttal of the oft repeated assertion that the Government refused to allow people to own their own houses, he would point out also that during Labour’s regime a further 36,000 privately owned houses had also been constructed.

Consistent Budget Surpluses

The economic and financial side of the country’s affairs were next dealt with, Mr Boord showing that each year Labour had not merely balanced its Budget but had shown a surplus, a thing which the Tory Government of the past had the utmost difficulty in doing. This was a tribute to the efficiency and ability of the Minister of Finance, the Hon. Walter Nash. In spite of the war which cost £640,000,000 to this country only 35 per cent, of all this immense sum remained to the paid off and this was owed by the people of New Zealand to the people of New Zealand. By comparison with the debt incurred for waging the first world war under a Tory Government a total cost of £89,000,000 was hung around this country’s neck and less than 10 per cent, had ever been paid off. * Education and Rehabilitation In the educational field he said that there were now 1448 young teachers being trained against 193 in 1935. Milk was now supplied daily to 234,000 children. New schools had been built and the dental service had been expanded. Last year £7,985,000 had been spent on education against a little less than £3,000,000 in 1935 when Labour first assumed power.

The rehabilitation scheme was second to none and men coming home from the war came back to the finest rehabiltating scheme in the world. It was the same with the Social Security scheme which was the admiration of the world. New Zealand had out-Beveridged Beveridge long before Beveridge began. In the Dominion today 410,000 people drew pensions amounting'to £30,300,000. This compared with the 70,00 persons drawing £300,000 in 1935.

It could be said that Labour’s accomplishments could be ranged under four heads (1) the abolition of unemployment; (2) creating an adequate wage level; (3) introducing the 40hour working week and paid holidays; (4) the Social Security Scheme.

The Future Speaking of the projected' undertakings of the Labour Government during the next ten years, the candidate dwelt at some length on the building of 15,000 homes annually whereby it was hoped within two years to have broken the back of the accommodation problem in this country. By 1951 it was hoped to have stepped up the building scheme to 15,000 houses annually. Labour hoped to stimulate farming to a degree hitherto unattempted. It would increase meat production from 550,000 tons to 575,000 tons, wool from 160,000 tons to 170,000 tons; cereals to 400,000 acres; the dairy herds to be built up from their present numbers to the prewar figure of 1,800,000, of milking cows producing 200,000 tons annually. Pip and stone fruit growing would be encouraged. Some 200,000 acres scrub and pumice land would be developed at the rate of 40,000 acres per year. The Rukuhia swamp would be drained. Lake Wairarapa would be drained making 30,000 acres available for farming. For all these ventures of activity it would be necessary to train young farmers and to assist to this end. Four -Agricultural High Schools would be established and as one was destined for the Bay of Plenty he was prepared to advocate that it should be established in this district owing to its central position. Populations and Secondary Industries

Dealing with the establishment of secondary industries, he said that the Government was seized with the vital need to build up the country’s population. The war had shown that we were unable to hold this

country against the threat of invasion and unless we built up our numbers in the next 20 years, we would stand in very grave danger of losing it. The farming industry could not hope to absorb the increased numbers envisaged and for that reason it was necessary to encourage secondary industry. Import control would be continued in order to protect every industry which gave promise of success. One of the main things however would be the decentralisation •of industries away from the larger centres, which had grown top heavy. Individualising ffie said that three rubber tyre factories would be established, new brick and cement works, carpet manufacturies, two new pulp and paper mills (privately owned) and one State mill for the manufacture of newsprint; lactose factories and wallboard factories and the State iron and steel works based bn the Taranaki iron sand deposits. P.W.D. 10-year Plan Speaking of the Minister of Work’s ten-year-plans for various parts of the Dominion Mr Boord said that the new Maraetai hydro electrical scheme would produce sufficient power to meet the combined demands of half the North Island. With regard to Social Security, he claimed that the structure was now almost complete but in future it was hoped to have all benefits paid by right, and to include dental treatment in the benfits, together with a free ambulance service. He asked what policy had the National Party to offer. In spite of all the criticism and the scare-monger-ing of Labour opposition the same old policy held good and had not changed since 1935 when it was first given out. Economic security for all the people!

Election Battle Now Joined

The present election battle was a very vital one. All. the reactionary forces had combined in one last effort to overthrow the present Government. They were backed by the Tory press who sought to divide the people in order that it might rule. It would mean, if ever N they got into power that import control would be lifted, unions attacked, 40 hour week abolished, and when prices fell overseas—mass unemployment. He asked his hearers to get behind Labour, in order to enable the country to go forward on a firm basis, and so assist forward the building of the best little country which existed on the face of the globe.

The vote of thanks and confidence was carried on the motion of Mr T. Conery and Mr J. Love. A further vote of thanks to the chair was given to Mr Barry on the call of the candididate.