LABOUR’S POLICY

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

LABOUR’S POLICY

to ra* son or o» ram press. Sir, —I listened with interest and amusement to our Prime Minister’s speech last evening, and I was particularly amused at his very earnest and solemn promises that he would see that everything that Labour promised would be faithfully carried out. Did I hear an interjector say, “Oh! Yeah!" He and his party, to which, by the way, I was once proud to belong, made many just as sincere and earnest promises this time three years ago. At that time, Mr Savage promised that if his party were returned, the first job he intended to do was to immediately remove the iniquitous sales tax, and then amend the income tax, so that the backbone of the country, viz., the young married man with his family responsibilities, would have a certain measure of relief, and presumably perhaps increase bis family. We all know how the first of these promises has been kept, and perhaps everyone does not know to what extent he has kept the second. Income tax on the young married man has not only not been deduced, but actually doubled, as the following figures show;

Now then!! You cannot fool all the Labour people all the time. —Yours, etC- ' NEVER AGAIN. September .23, 1938, to tbs tnrroß o» m vmis». Sir, —Our Prime Minister opened his first speech of the election campaign last night, and was, I presume, listened to by many ardent supporters. > For my part I could :see nothing solid m J X ■ < ■ The speech opened with a harangue f 6n the rather worn-out subject of wage-cutting. Perhaps Mr Savage has never read a treatise by a modern economist. One and all they condemn i wage-cutting, and quite rightly, too. Reduced wages mean' reduced spending capacity, which naturally reacts un-favourably-on trade. But Mr,: ,Savage and' : his'’colleagues do not seern to appreciate the fact that the New Zealand . was only following an example by doing what every other country in the world did in the firm belief that such action would help matters; But the Labour partisans seem to enjoy mud-slinging, and so they cheered: Mr Savage vociferously in his childish condemnation of a policy ne would himself have/followed had he been in poifrer. . .. 1 We have all heard the slogan—- " Prosperity came .with Savage and Co.”—and as a statement of fact it, is quite true. But to construe it as —“Prosperity came because Savage and Co. came” is quite erroneous. The one was certainly not the result of the other. Prosperity came because the depression ended. Economic conditions improved the world over, regardless of the fact that "Savage and Co." came into power in New Zealand. However, we should not look at it in that reasonable light. V/e are meant to see "Savage and' Co.”, waving a magic wand over the scene and, lo and behold! a land of prosperity. _ . , . ~ Nevertheless, New Zealanders should be cheerful: lift up their heads and be proud, for we lead, the world (even Russia) in our precipitous descent into the mire of Socialism.—Yours, etc., GARCON, September 23,> 1938. » m iditoi o» tit nin. Sir,—lt would be amusing, if it were not so serious, to read this morning of the Prime Minister stoutly denying that the issue at this election is private enterprise or Socialism. Mr Savage may, however, be presumed to sphak for the Labour Party. He is the Parliamentary party (representative on the national executive of the New Zealand Labour Party, and in this capacity he must be aware of the proceedings at the annual conference of that party in April last. Among the remits dealt with at that conference is.one which, reads: “That with the assistance of the Social Science Bureau, the Government Statistician, and suitable party members, every endeavour shall be made to create a Labour Research and Publicity Bureau to educate the people in the principles and problems of Socialism, particularly as they apply to New Zealand." The education is proposed to be done "through radio talks; pamphlets, etc." /The general committee recommended that this particular remit "be referred to the national executive, with a view to action being taken after the General Election.” As the Labour Party recommended that this question should' be held over until after the elections, is it surprising to find Mr Savage denying that Socialism is the real issue—now? Mr Savage’s denial shows clearly enough that he and the Labour Party believe that the people do not want Socialism, and in that they are right Hence his party’s • anxiety to conceal its real objective, in an endeavour to secure its return to power, so that by means of the radio and the printing press it can educate the people in the principles and problems of Socialism as they apply to New Zealand. Doubtful tactics, good electioneering for Mr Savage, but the majority of the people will not be fooled in this way.—Yours etc.. COLONIAL. September 23. 1938. / TO m SDITOK or TH> HIM. Sir, —I listened in very to Mr Savage's explanations of the Government’s policy. During the speech I think no applause was greater in volume than when Mr Savage said, “We are not out to steal the farmer’s land. Our johjs to put people on the land, and to keep them there.” Now, of course, anyone with a grain of sense would know no government could afford to turn experienced men off the land, and put in their place men from railway workshops, or even large numbers of unemployed, with no experience, or even capabilities, much less desire to do all the hard work In long hours necessary, to make much of a success. But .the point most of his listeners never considered, but the one that Is vital to the farmers and their relatives and friends, and the point they should aver keep in mind, is

their freedom. There are many hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of farmers in Russia who are now nothing more than slaves. , From what one gathers from travellers’ accounts, from books and newspapers, these Russian farmers have their crops seized, and hardly allowed enough to live on above the bread line, and sometimes are not allowed enough grain to sow the next crop. There may be some happy go lucky farmers in New Zealand who cannot see far ahead, and so don’t worry much about the present, but let any intelligent, thinking farmer consider the present trend of things, before being committed to much more, and he ought to ask himself: if the present Government in one term of office can so curtail his liberties, what will it be like if returned to power? The Nationalist Party has shown what we are up against if the electors do not take heed and vote the present Government out.—Yours, etc.. LISTENER-IN. September 23, 1938

Tax payable. •Assessable New income scale under (earned) Old scale. Lab. Govt. £ £ s. d. £ s. d. 300 1 12 t 7 3 8 0 350 4 1 U 7 16 9 400 6 11 2 12 9 8 450 9 2 9 17 8 9 500 11 10 9 22 8 0