GOVERNMENT MANIFESTO

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22515, 24 September 1938, Page 19

GOVERNMENT MANIFESTO

it' ■** »■ . Higher Standard of Living Aimed At FULFILMENT OF PLEDGES OF 1935 Emphasis on National Health and Land Development “It will be the aim of the Government to see that present standards of living are progressively lifted.” This is one of the salient points emphasised in the Government election manifesto, which has been released for publication, and which is given in the following columns. The manifesto, which claims at the outset that the electors should realise that the National Party is no new party with new ideas and principles, follows in many respects the identical lines of the statement made by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, in Wellington on Thursday evening, and published in “The Press” on Friday morning. It is published in full here, except where there is absolute duplication with Mr Savage’s statement of policy. Other main points are:— The claim that every pledge made by the Government at the last election has been fulfilled. The claim that so far the policy of the Government has raised real wages for workers and brought an all-round benefit to farmers, workers. Industry, and business, with an increase in purchasing power and an increase in business profits. Emphasis is laid on the State housing scheme and the proposal to use the scheme to abolish slums in the cities. Plans are outlined forVthe extension of the provision of credit to workers and farmers. There Is a detailed outline of the benefits and principles of the Social Security Scheme. The claim that records have been established in public welfare. ■- ■■ A planned system of land development by the State is . outlined. Expansion of the public-workk programme. Other objectives of the party are given in detail in the manifesto, which is sighed by Mr Mr J. Roberts,' president of the party, and Mr D. Wilson, secretary.

1 The manifesto states?— v ' On October 15 the electors of the D - Biinion will be faced with the responsibility of exercising their rights of democracy and choosing their Government for the next three years. The* issue is essentially one of principle—whether the future policy of the Dominion is to promote, the welfare. of the.many or the interests of the few. Tor the first time the electors have an opportunity of-judging the respective inerits..of the. two. opposing parties on. the basis of their record as a .Government. The Labour Party is confident that an overwhelming majority of the people desire to see the policy which they endorsed at the last, election' continued and developed rather than face the possibility of a reversion to the ; disastrous conditions that prevailed during me administraUpn of the Coalition 'Government.'"' Electors should not be misled into . believing that the present National Party is a new party with- new. principles and new ; ideas. It ’is for all practical purposes the same party composed of the same men with the same leaders and the same outlook as the party which was responsible for the of the Dominion during the years 1931-35. Their present policy, deprived of its election trimmings, contains no suggestion that their social conception has undergone any . significant change, or that they would act in the future, if faced again with similar circumstances, any differently from the way they have acted in the past. Since 1935 the people have had an opportunity of assessing, in terms of practical results, the alternative policy which Labour offers them. Achievements are a better test than promises.

LABOUR’S PROMISES The many thousands who suffered feeverie hardship during the depression years when the National Government was in office will heed no reminder of the serious state of affairs which the Labour Government .was called upon to remedy in December, 1935 The Government, on assuming office, lost no time in giving effect to its election promise to lift the incomes of the people generally and improve their standards of living. Other Claims Electors are sufficiently familiar with the nature and objectives of the policy which received their endorsement at the last general election, and with the various steps by which it has been pror gressively implemented. They should bear in mind, however, the f olio win p additional major achievements which me Government has to its credit in carrying out this, policy, and in laying, the foundation lor its extension. Wages and salaries have been restored and increased. Unemployment has been reduced to a minimum. Farmers’ returns have been increased through guaranteed prices. Education and health facilities have beenextended. The five day and 40-hour week bas been introduced. A Housing Construction Department has been inaugurated and a vigorous bousing programme adopted. External and Internal Marketing Departments bave been established to organise and regulate the,sale of primary products. Hydro-electrical development, road and railway construction, and the provision of other public utilities haye been expedited. Farmers and home owners nave been rehabilitated by the adjustment of their mortgages and other liabilities. The defence forces and facili«es—land, sea, and air—have been •lengthened and improved. Control ever main highways has been unified, ■nd transport services more efficiently co-ordinated.. .New markets have been opened up overseas, and existing markets safeguarded “and extended by wade agreements and negotiations. land settlement bas been pro?°i*d. schools improved, and health mantles extended. Revenue has substantially increased; overseas indebtedness has been reduced: the Budget nas been balanced and a surplus realised.

. last three years have, been a Period of legislative and administrative ♦if. unparalleled in the history" of Dominion. It is sufficient to state mat every pledge which the Gov.erri- , ®ent made to the electors in its last •lection manifesto has been fulfilled in r* entirety. Its record in this respect Jf °ne of which it can feel justly proud. The immense improvement in standard of living of the people as ■- w hole. and the ‘ general prosperity Prevailing, due allowance being or ihe recovery in export, prices, " the best testimony of the soundness °L the Government’s policy and the •fficiepcy of its administration. • ’ EFFECT OF POLICY . .The effect of the Government’s policy v. “ ufting the standards of living of f e 6 is reflected in the . extent to f . wiuch incomes have increased over ie Ariast three yeanm*«. Beal wages have

wage and salary payments have increased from £65,700,000 in 1934-35 to over £100,000,000 at the present time. Income other than salary and wages increased during the first 12 months of Labour’s administration by no less than £13,300,000. Farmers’ incomes have shown a similar remarkable improvement. Gross farm income in June, 1935, was £46,000,000. Two years later it had risen to £72,000,000. The improvement was especially narked in the case of the small farmer whose income rose from an average of £lO2 in 1935 to £295 in 1937.

• This increased purchasing power, combined .. with the Government’s policy of ensuring a decent standard of living to those who through no fault of their own, are unable to make proper provision for .themselves, meant that thousands of people bought goods which for years previously they had not been able to„buy. Troduction was immediatelyT stimulated, employment was expanded, and the effect ? was cumulatively beneficial. The helpful effect, which this policy has had on industry is shown by the fact that the value of factory production increase! by 26.2 per cent, over 1935. The nu .- her of factory employ is rose from 94,000 for the year ending March, 1935, to 124,000 in 1938. , , J Business people nave also snared in the Dominion's prosperity. Increased.profits earned during 1936 and 1937 by 50 leading New Zealand companies representative of all types of business enterprise amounted to £1,500,000 —an increase of 36 per cent, on the total profits earned by them in 1935. During the same period reserves increased by over £1.000.000. The number of depositors in the Post Office Savings Bank increased between 1935 and 1938 by 103.000. t The total amount to the credit of depositors has increased by £14,000,000. The average amount a depositor has risen from £6O 9s to £6B 12s. GOVERNMENT’S

'J. OBJECTIVE The objective of the Government is to utilise to-the maximum the wonderful resources'of the Dominion. _ First—By maintaining and improving the living standards that have been experienced in the Dominion m the last three years as compared with the deprivation of the previous three years. Second—By organising an internal economy, that will distribute the production and services in a way that will guarantee to every person, able and willing tp work, an income sufficient to provide him and his dependants with everything necessary to make a ' “home” and “home life m the best sense of the meaning of those te Third—By continuihg the progressive legislation and administration which' have been successfully carried on by the Government since it took office on December 6, 1935. In extension of its programme the Government submits the following policy to the electors:— t ’! Soelal Security

It will complete the organisation of administration procedure and personnel to give effect tp the Government’s Social i Security Act> _ It will' co-operate with Friendly Societies in^xtension of membership and arrangements ■ for; the utilisation of Friendly Societies, , dispensaries and other existing machinery ;that will assist the practical administration of social -security benefits. . . .' It will negotiate with . chemists to ensure their full co-operation and supply of drugs and- appliances required under the medical 'benefits of the act at reasonable rates.

STATE HOUSING The housing construction policy of the Government is set out as follows: (a) Continuation of Government housing construction to the maximum of available labour and materials. (b) Extension of housing construction to rural areas for farmers, farm workers, and other rural dwellers. (c) Clearance of slum areas and erection of modern dwellings. (d) Advances to modernise existing dwelling- houses. ■ The Government is faced with a huge task in, filling the need for new houses largely'caused by the, stoppage of building throughout the depression. The Housing Construction -Department will press on With the erection of as many houses in -every locality as the materials and mdn available will enable to be built, until decent accommodation is provided for every family in the Dominion. The high standard of quality and comfort now achieved will not be relaxed, , as the Government believes ;that high standard housing is the best incentive to the formation of healthy and happy homes. The construction of homes by the Government will be extended to all country districts to ensure that farmers, farm-workers, and other rural dwellers shall have the same comforts and amenities as those in urban districts. The slum areas at present existing in some of our cities and .towns will be swept away and replaced by

The establishment, protection, and expansion of manufacturing and other secondary industries essential to the •development of the Dorpinion is proposed. The Government believes that a vigorous policy of industrial development and expansion is essential to the welfare of this Dominion. This the Government intends to carry out so that what is manufactured in New Zealand will be efficient and will at the same time have regard to ou trade relationship with England. If New Zealand provides its own basic needs then we will be in a better position to withstand the effects of any overseas crisis that may occur in the future.

modern dwellings that will be a credit and a pleasure to the country that takes pride in its high standard of living. In the clearance of these areas the city dweller will have the choice of multiple dwellings or of individual homes as he prefers, and all forms of transport will be developed and improved to serve new suburbs efficiently and cheaply. Home owners will be assisted to modernise and improve dwellings, and to install necessary hygienic equipment to bring homes up to the high standard achieved in the new houses now being erected. / Currency and Credit In extension of its policy the Government proposes to maintain and extend the control of credit and currency until the State is the sole .authority for the issue of credit and currency. Interest rates have been kept down and money provided for local bodies at lower than the ruling market rates quoted by private financial interests. The ownership of the Reserve Bank has enabled the Government to finance the purchase of the butter and cheese for export by the Marketing Department, and the building of thousands of houses. State Advances

The Government is now able actively to direct the advancing of moneys for all necessary purposes to farmers and homebuilders and to maintain a low rate of interest. Advances can be made to farmers for the purchase and equipping of farms, for improvements and extensions, and for the erection of homes and other buildings. These loans will be made at the lowest rate of interest and on the most favourable conditions possible. The Rural Intermediate Credit activities are now administered through the State Advances, and through it advances on the most helpful terms will be made for the purchase of stock, implements, manures, and other farming requisites. Loans will be made available for enabling farmers and dwellers in urban districts to erect their own homos and to build accommodation for workers on farms, on long-term mortgage, to any person who is worthy of credit. Special facilities are available in the provision of a wide range of attractive plans and specifications, and supervision by qualified architects at a low standard cost. Skilled officers will give every assistance and advice in the purchase of sections, calling tenders, and overseeing construction. For the first time the State advances are available for the establishment and extension of secondary industries, and the fullest assistance will be provided to enable the development of industry on conditions that will facilitate expansion and new enterprise. Secondary Industries

The Government has built up research organisations with staff and equipment adequate and competent to deal with the problems of rapidly changing conditions in all branches of industry. The policy is to intensify the investigation of national resources of all kinds, minerals, soils, plants, and animals, with a view to their exploitation for the needs of the whole of our people. LAND .POLICY ' After dealing with the policy aims of the party as they apply to land, the manifesto states: —Deteriorated lands have been brought back into cultivation by large-scale operations, and no land is being settled under this Government which is not in adequate working order and provided with adequate access. Permanent contributions to agriculture have been made by the encouragement of plant and animal research, by soil surveys, and by developing other methods of scientific aid to farming. The maintenance of soil fertility has been advanced by the reduction of the price of fertiliser. In addition, liberal assistance has been given to farmers who have suffered by flood, frost, disease, or other natural disasters. Land settlement will be pressed ahead with the intention of diversifying our farm economy. The Crown has very little land available which is suitable for economic settlement. To pursue a policy of closer settlement, the purchase of estates which are capable of carrying a larger population will be embarked upon, under a planned svstem, the State providing a full measure of finance for building, stocking, and equipping the farms, in order to enable farmers’ sons and other capable men. with farming experience to become efficient farmers. Every care will be taken in the purchasing of estates for closer settlement in order to avoid the mistakes of the past through paying too high a price for the land; or cutting it up into uneconomic farms. Dealing with primary industries, the manifesto states: Prices of farm products are unstable. To rectify this as far as the farmer was concerned, the Government promised to institute a policy of guaranteed prices. Already this procedure covers butter, cheese, wheat, fruit, honey, barley, and tobacco. The results have so justified the policy that no farmer would advocate the abolition of the guaranteed price procedure. It has brought stability, security, and hope for the future. The marketing side in the United Kingdom is working smoothly. Our butter prices have been brought closer to Danish, there have been less fluctuations. Our agreement with Germany raised the price of butter by 4s a hun-dred-weight at a time when prices were sagging. Other proposals of the Government, as shown in the manifesto, follow: PUBLIC WORKS The Government does not subscribe to the view that public works should be regarded as a palliative to be undertaken only when private enterprise fails to provide the necessary facilities or to offer the required employment. The Government’s policy is to promote or expand public works on their individual merits as projects of public development. The various public works undertakings already initiated will be completed, and tne programme of construction will be continued and expanded. Many of the public works undertaken in the last two or three years were merely doing what should have been done years ago. The changing needs of industry, transport, and communications means that public works must be modernised. To keep production costs down, transport must be cheap and fast. Our roads and railway crossings need great improvement not only to save valuable human lives, but to provide a roadway for modern motor traffic, which is playing such a great part in the development of the country. The development of air services and the Air Force necessitates the rapid building of extensive aerodromes. This will be proceeded with. Men will be employed to build nationally-needed assets. This policy will dovetail in with the work of national development referred to elsewhere. DEFENCE Complete organisation and co-ordin-ation of Army, Navy, and Air Forces to ensure the most effective defence of the Dominion:— In 1923 £600,000 was spent on defence; in 1935 this had risen to £1,000.000. For the year 1938-39 more than £3,000,000 is being spent on defence in all its aspects. The Government takes the view that it would prefer to spend money on houses rather than defence, but in view of the world situation defence expenditure is regrettably necessary. Having decided on this course the Government is doing the job efficiently and is keeping in constant touch with Great Britain and will continue to do so. Never before have the organisation and facilities for our national defence been as efficient as now.

Organisation, expansion and diversification of primary industries to the maximum to supply the needs of the New Zealand and overseas markets. Extension of guaranteed price procedure to provide an income to farmers measured by New Zealand living standards, and in accordance with the services rendered by farmers. Establishment, safeguarding and expansion of manufacturing and other secondary industries essential to the development of the Dominion. Continuance of policy of negotiating bilateral agreements on a reciprocal basis to expand markets for our primary products. Orderly marketing within New Zealand to ensure reasonable prices to consumers and maintain guaranteed prices to primary producers. Government housing construction to the full extent of labour and materials available; extension to rural arens for fanners and farm workers, and other dwellers in the country. Clearance of slum areas and replace: ment by modern dwellings. Advances to modernise existing dwelling houses. Complete organisation of administration and men. to give full effect to the Social Security Act; co-operation with friendly societies to extend their membership and dispensary and other services to the fullest extent con- . sonant with the administration of social security benefits; co-operation with chemists to the full for the same purposes. Setting up of special department for prevention of river erosion, clearance of river-beds, and tree planting to prevent disastrous floods; extension of afforestation; organisation of land development, irrigation works, and swamp drainage, on modern lines. Development of all available suitable Crown land; purchase, development and settlement of privatelyowned land; provision of security of tenure by leasehold and full value of improvements to lessees; preference for applicants who are rural or sons of farmers; financial assistance to farmers for farm development. Maximum facilities for improvement of main highways, and special road improvements for back-block areas. Completion of existing railway construction work—and extension of Taneatua-Opotiki railway and Rimutaka tunnel.

Electric supply at minimum charge for domestic needs in country and town areas. Special facilities for supply at low rates to farmers and manufacturers to reduce production costs. Fullest investigation of national resources of all kinds, minerals, soils, plants, and animals, with a view to their exploitation for the purpose of increasing production and living standards. An equitable settlement of Native claims, extension of Native land development, and better housing and sanitation facilities in Native districts. Improvement and maintenance of wages and conditions in industrial and other employment. Progressive extension of the principle of motherhood endowment until every mother. has a sufficient income to maintain each child. Extension and ’ improvement .of health services and facilities, including school medical, nursing, and dental services, and the milk-in-schools scheme, and provision of most efficient maternity attention in all parts of the Dominion. Institution of an industrial hygiene branch to investigate and combat occupational diseases. ■ Fullest educational opportunities from kindergarten to university; with special attention to the needs of the country child; installation of modern aids to teaching; raising of school leaving age to 15; assured finance for the University of New Zealand and constituent colleges, and for the Council of Adult Education. Extension of present educational building programme: improvement of school grounds and amenities; unification and reorganisation of administrative control of primary and post-pri-mary education. *. Support of the principles contained in the Covenant of the League of Nations, together with ' the fullest cooperation with the United Kingdom and other members of the British Commonwealth. '• Complete organisation and co-ordin-ation of Army, Navy, and Air Forces to ensure most effective defence of the Dominion. The Government during the first year of the next Parliament will consolidate the Land and Income Tax Acts, to remove some of the injustices and anomalies, which have ’ existed for many years. The statutes and regulations associated with the Public Service, Railways, and Teachers’ Superannuation Funds will be examined in consultation with representatives of . the services concerned, with a view to removing some anomalies, providing for adjusted benefits for husband and wife, whichever is the survivor, and the removal of the injustice at present experienced by the widows of railway superannuitants. --

Navy—The seagoing force have been strengthened by replacement with more modern and larger cruisers. Workshops stores have been erected and equipped. Naval armament depot completed. New Zealand personnel increased. Reserves of oil fuel and stores increased. Naval Board now functions regularly. Army—An Army Board has been instituted. The territorial organisation has been brought into line with other parts of the British Commonwealth. The forces are being rapidly mechanised.. Increased pay and camp allowance have been instituted and other improved conditions. Every effort is being made to bring our land forces up to the highest state of efficiency. The whole system of defence has been organised on the latest known lines in collaboration with the authorities ip -Great Britain. A Council of Defence has been established ensuring closest collaboration beween the . three services and also an organisation for national security, which embraces every important Department of State. Air Force—Air Department created, embracing civil and service aviation and an Air Board established. The Government have established a repair base at Hobsonville. a flying training school at Wigram, and two service operational stations already under construction. Thirty fast bombers have been ordered with ammunition. Clubs have been encouraged and granted assistance through interest-free money for purchase of aircraft and also by financial assistance for the training of pilots. A squadron of Territorial Air Force already formed at Wellington and formation of three other similar squadrons is well advanced. Foreign Policy

The Government in its belief in collective security will continue its support of the principles contained in the Covenant of the League of Nations and the maximum provision for the defence of the Dominion, together with co-operation to the fullest extent with the United Kingdom and other members of the British Commonwealth to maintain its existence and assist in its protection. When the GJovornment came into office it operated the policy it had always advocated —(1) Keeping New Zealand’s word as a signatory to the Treaty of Versailles. (2) Support of the principles contained in the Covenant of the League as the best instrument for securing the peace, both of Now Zealand and of the British Empire as a whole. The principle is that of collective security. A leading part of the foreign policy of the Government is co-operation with the other members of the British Commonwealth to maintain peace. This policy will be continued. , . , The policy is summarised as follows: — • Maintenance and extension of the conti .1 of the financial and banking system until the representatives of the people are the sole authority for the issue of credit and currency. Provision of credit to farmers to the fullest extent at the lowest possible rates of interest. Provision of maximum advances of capital at lowest rates of interest to town and country dwellers for the erection of their own homes and for suitable houses for workers on farms. Provision of credit for the establishment and extension of secondary industries.