NATIONAL PARTY’S MANIFESTO

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22513, 22 September 1938, Page 7

NATIONAL PARTY’S MANIFESTO

to to corral or tbx tmssa. Sir,—At long lasj the Leader of the Opposition has released the National Party’s election policy. In places it as born of death-bed repentances, and in others it is psychological with a pessimism which is appalling. I have no desire to take up too much of your space so shall just traverse four of the statements therein, at present. 1. The manifesto says: “On becoming the Government the National Party will not operate the recently passed Social Security Act,” etc. As this is its intention it will not get a chance to sabotage this long-overdue, humanitarian achievement, because the electors will refuse to elect sufficient numbers of the unhappily named National Party to carry out this threat; in fact, they will be lucky if any of them are returned. '' " ■ , 2. Education: Again the manifesto states; “We must see that our children are provided with the best possible educational equipment for the battle of life.” etc. This death-bed repentance emanates from a party which, when in power, excluded the five-year-olds from school, closed the teaching colleges and drastically cut all applications for financial grants to schools. 3. Transport. Again states the manifesto: “We believe that an efficient and modem railway service is an essential jart of our National transport system.” 4. No reduction in wages, says this manifesto. It was the last Government that, at the behest of Sir Otto Niemeyer, closed down all the railway 6 under construction in New Zealand in 1928, and the members of,the present misnamed National Party have, since the Labour Government again started these works, been proclaiming that these jobs should only be carried out if a depression comes: that too many men are employed by the Public Works Department on railway construction; that these railways, when completed, will never pay their way, etc.; and that the wages paid to the men on these works are too high, yet they say wages will not be reduced. How could this country possess “an efficient and modern railway service” if these lines were left unconstructed until a depression came along? The contents of this policy will not ‘delude the sensible electors into voting for the so-called National Party candidates on October 15.—Yours, etc.,"' J. HILL, j Micks Creek, September 20, 1938. to m bsztob or m rnu. Sir.—May-I draw attention to whit appears to me to be you* misreading of the Rational Party policy statement. You say in your leading article Mt establishes universal superannuation on the basis of the present (8d) unemployment contributory tax rate.” Beading the statement, I find provision will be made for several desirable things and the effect “will be at no ipcrease in wage tax.” Further down and apparently independent, there .appears, regarding national, superannuation, the'following; “The funds should be administered as a separate trust independent of ordinary Gongrnment finances. The scheme should be financed by direct contributions from income....”In other words, it appears to me that the present employment promotion’ tax is to be retained and a separate superannuation fund created by additional taxation. It is noticeable that no mention is made of any subsidy to the superannuation scheme, so .1 presume the lowest possible Tate of levy .would be Is in the pound. Are we to pay Is Id? Perhaps the National Party could •Imitate thtstpolnt^Your^^ September 21. 1938. -

[We see no reason to change , our reading of' the manifesto, though it is obvious that the prpppsals, are given in outline only. It is clear that the present CBd). wage .tax us spoken of in connexion. with the health and superannuation scheme, and that it is not to be increased. It seems to follow that this is to be regarded as the basic-contribu-tion. entitling every contributor to superannuation, and that it is to hepaid into the separate trust account mentioned. It is true that the manifesto does not refer to -possible subsidies' required; But the correspondent has probably no. need to “presume” their extent witnout evidence of the cost of benefits either on the,health side pr .on the superannuation side, - because the Leader of the National Party will give his policy address on Friday -night—Ed.. “The Press.”!