POLITICAL ARENA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 47, 8 November 1946, Page 5

POLITICAL ARENA

MR W. S. GOOSMAN’S ADDRESS

THE NATIONAL PLATFORM

..SUPPORT FOR MR W. SULLIVAN M.P.

Some two hundred electors, the overwhelming majority being National Party supporters attended the special meeting in the Grand Theatre, Whakatane, last Tuesday evening, which was addressed by Mr W. S. Goosman M.P. for Waikato, and National candidate for the recently constituted electorate of Piako. The address was given in support of Mr W. Sullivan’s candidature and was delivered in telling fashion with few interruptions. The Mayor, Mr B. S. Barry, presided.

A bracket, of questions were ask--ed at the conclusion of the address, each of which was more an obvious lead to the speaker to expound on details of the National policy, than the verbal snares of Labour supporters. The meeting, concluded with a vote of thanks and confidence in the National Party on the motion of Messrs. lan Gow and Alan Bridger.

Mr Goosman who has a firm and clear delivery said that though to some the 1946 election was merely just another polling day, to a great many New Zealanders if was one of the most vital events in their country’s history. In the past the Labour Party h*ad been re-elected to office three times in succession. If returned a' fourth, they would have every right to assume that they had the fullest confidence of the people of this country and that they had the right to carry out the complete Socialisation of the country as a whole.

He maintained that Socialism wherever it had.been tried, had been a failure and it would fail in this country—but who suffered in the process—the people every time. Socialism had strangely enough been successful at but it was the test of time that counted as in Italy and Germany. He was convinced that the action, of the Lab- ■ our Government in sending a representative to Moscow, was merely an effort to obtain reports on the Socialistic state of that country in order that the system could be studied and finally adopted in the ‘Dominion. There was no real diplomatic reason why Mr Boswell should be sent over to Russia.

New Zealanders must realise theycould* not have Socialism and return their individual freedom. It was impossible to introduce a Socialistic regime and still enable the individual to exercise initiative. The election. therefore on the. 27th November was not merely the election of Mr Sullivan or of Mr Boord, but rather Socialism versus that individualistic system which had built up this country and made it one of the best in the world.

Labour and the Farmers

Mr Goosman spoke at some length on Labour’s ■ claims that it had rescued the farmers of this country from the depths of misery and dispair. He would like to, remind the Labour, Party that the other countries in the world also came out of the slump and on the main without the help of a Labour" Government. In rebuttal of the assertion that the farmers had never been better off than under a Labour Government, he would say that the average payment made by the Cambridge Cooperative Dairy Company over the ••seven years from 1923-30 was 17.65 d per lb. Against this the much vaunted period of Labohr’s administration with the guaranteed price averaged just over 15d per lb. This would explode all Labour’s claims that it had benefitted the farmer as far as produce prices were concerned. He urged the farming community not to be misled by any last minute promises whereby an increase in the guaranteed price level was proffered by the Labour Party. His party believed in allowing, the producer to handle and market his own product and to reap the full benefit for it. \

Land Sales Act Criticised

He condemned the Land Sales Act whereby it was possible foiMhe "Government to acquire any properties offered for sale at its own pi-ice, and added that Labour had fought the farmers all the way by .means of its restricting land legislation. He compared the valuable policy whereby the purchaser would be .•given the adjustment between the 1939 valuation at the.,time of purchase.

Labour’s habit of rushing legislation through the House was like-

wise roundly condemned, the speaker claiming that it was unhealthy for the nation and not in the interests of the people. He described the budgets produced by Hon. Mr Nash as 'dishonest budgets’ which did not portray the true position of the country’s accounts. Mr Goosman declared that the Government had openly overtaxed the people in order to meet commitments which were never entered on the estimates. He strongly criticised the bleeding of the people in order to build up a Government credit to wipe off unnecessary outstanding national debts. In the last budget, he personally had discovered that Mr Nash had overtaxed the people of this country to the vast extent of from £15,000,000 to £20,000,000. He instanced the Social Security tax which would realise next year some £4,000,000 in excess of what would be actually needed. In the income tax account likewise there would be a ..further surplus of approximately a similar figure.

National declared that , taxation could have been cut down two or three years ago and when it assumed office it would see that it was reduced.

Forty Hour Week

Dealing with the forty, hour week Mr Goosman said whereas the country was divided on this subject it was here and should be retained particularly in industry. The National Party was prepared to maintain it .and to give it'a fair trial. It was of course impossible in some professions to'adopt the same limited working hours, the primary producer for instance, the nursing profession and others. However if the forty hour week could be proved it would not work then it would be for the' people to say what should be done with it.

Social Security Retained

Dealing with Social Security he said that all the rumours put round by Labour to the effect that this enactment would be abandoned or abolished, was so much scare mongering., National did not intend to pull anything down. All it intended to do was to impose a fairer basis whereby all who could work would be made to do so. Nobody died of hard work but he knew of many who 'died from lack of sufficient work. ’

The National Party realised that it had to fight the two ‘isms’ already in this country and to do that it was realised that the best method was to give as many people as possible the right to ownership. The development of marginal lands was one method whereby this could be achieved, even if the breaking-in cost more than was considered economic by way of outlay. If it were not done the land would. continue to go back as a breeding place for pests and noxious weds and a menace to the surrounding farm lands. It had to be remembered that once an area was broken in it continued to produce for all time. ’ This land would be purchased and made over to those who genuinely sought to own their own property at interest free rates.

House Ownership

Mr Goosman expounded the housing policy of his party, which he said" had given Labour a real headache. ,By this means every tenant wpuld be given the opportunity of owning his own house over terms of from 20 to 40 years. Under Labour’s regime, if a man occupied a State house for 40 years he paid £3600 and did not own even the doornob at the end of that time. He also enlarged on the suspensory loans to home builders as a means of offsetting the high cost of building at the present time.

Secondary Industries

It was wrong to say that this country was entirely a primary producing country. We had a growing number of secondary industries in this country which provided employment for a growing percentage of workers. It was the policy of his Party to set up a protective Tariff Commission to safeguard the founding of any 'new secondary indus» tries in the country. The primary industries were still basic to the country’s prosperity for on them depended the whole of our export trade.

So many secondary industries, had been founded that there was today a drastic shortage of labour and unless this was relieved it would mean the drawing away of workers from the all-important primary industries on which the country depended. The only way the position could be met was by immigration so that the population could be built up to supply the labour shortages and to meet the sales demand of the goods created.

Mr Goosman concluded on a strong note for the return of the National Party as the Government of the country over the next three years.