ELECTION ISSUE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24899, 12 June 1946, Page 5

ELECTION ISSUE

ADDRESS BY MR C. M. BOWDEN, M.P. « ULTIMATE SOCIALISM ” “The Government says it is going to fight the election on the issue of ultimate Socialism; I think the National Party should take up that challenge,” said Mr C. M. Bowden, National member of Parliament for Wellington West, in an address at Shirley last evening. He said that no matter what inducements Labour offered to be given another chance, electors should remember that the Government was committed to ultimate Socialism and that the issue was crystal clear. “Ultimate has two meanings,” said Mr Bowden. “It has a meaning in time. You know: this year, next year, sometime, ultimately. That is not a very satisfactory measure of time. It has another meaning, in degree, and I think that is the Labour Party’s meaning. It does not mean Socialism some time or never, but Socialism in the ultimate degree.” What did that mean? asked Mr Bowden. Public ownership of utilities like the post office, railways, tramways. and waterworks was well established and unexceptionable. However. to be successful, Socialism must be absolute; there was no room for democracy in ultimate Socialism, which could own no authority but its own. He had the highest regard for the Public Service with its tradition of loyalty to whatever party was in power. But if everyone was a State servant, there jvould be no incentive to workers. Lawyers, doctors, architects. engineers, accountants, and all workers would be State employees, told what to do, and where to live by a central planning' authority. No initiative would be permitted in production. Possibly all land would be owned by the State; that would be disinheritance. People would probably own their furniture and personal effects. Mr Bowden said Sir Stafford Cripps had advocated in Britain that, if the Parliamentary term had expired before the objective had been attained, the Government should decide whether the election would be held. In other words, he would take away the people’s democratic right to representation.

The crying need in New Zealand was for more goods and to produce more goods was the best method of curbing inflation, said Mr Bowden. There were four reasons for the shortage of goods. For six years there had been war production, and reconversion was not complete. There had been an embargo on imports and a rigid licensing system. There was a shortage of labour. The fourth reason was a lack of incentive, to workers and employers alike. Preference in the allocation of State houses should be given to those on lower incomes, said Mr Bowden, in reply to a questioner who said a man earning £l5OO a year had obtained a State house in Christchurch, although a man on that income could afford to provide his own home. When State employees were transferred from one town to another the State should provide housing for them, Mr Bowden said in reply to another question. Mr H. C. Lansford presided over an attendance of 80.

FRANKLIN SEAT

THREE NATIONAL PARTY NOMINATIONS (P.A.) AUCKLAND, June 11. Three* nominations, including that of the sitting member of Parliament, Mr J. N. Massey, were received for the National Party candidate for the Franklin electorate when nominations closed. The two other nominations received were from Mr Alan J. Milliken, of Patumahoe, and Mr S. W. Peers, of PapakUra. It is expected that a ballot will be held in about three weeks.