WELLINGTON SUBURBS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 64, 9 December 1919, Page 8

WELLINGTON SUBURBS

MR, WRIGHT AT NEWTOWN. Mr. E. A. Wright addressed a crowded meeting at Rosson's Tea Rooms last evening. Mr. W. D. Aitken was appointed chairman. Tho meeting was in every way successful,- and the speaker Tcceived an excellent hearing.

Mr. Wright dealt with tho questions of Capital and Labour and a State bank, in addition to a number of other political subjects.

Dealing with Capital and Labour, Mr. Wright contended that both were necessary. Cnpital cnnld not do without Labinr. neither could Labour exist without Capital. Wherever experiments had been made along socialistic lines. Hanital was nece?sary. But Capital and Labpur without discipline would fail, Ronipono must control. No enntain could saMy nnvicatc. his pliin without strict disriplinc, and industry and commerce would die if discipline were destroyed. Anvthimr that would assist Capital nnd Labour to work together was in the best ijit-orHs of the country. Defiling with the proposed Stale bnnlt, Mr. Writrht reminded tho mooting that Sir Joseph Ward, when Mr. Tlo<r.T, wlui was a member nf his Cabinet, iulynente'l an inonntrovortible note issue, inn'?lod lnxin his w'snntioTi from tho Ministry. Sir .TWph Ward then drrbml Hint fmo.h a scheme would bo fiuaiioiiiUv disastrous to H'o country.- The Enelish creditor would view if with intense disfavour, and it wn' in every way a dantrernus pxnodient. Now. Sir Joseph Wn v <\ sfronplv favoured a State bank, which h" riiouelit would prove a g" , " , roino to tlio .Stn'o. Whnt w« tlio difference behvoon Hie si-liomo lr r. Tlnei? advocated (wliicli Pir. .Tosonh Ward donouncM and tho Stnte Imnlc? Thoro was no differpneo. Tt lonko<l a= H'OU!;h Hie Leader nf Hie Opuositior. hnd simply annoxofl a plank from tho T,nljour Party's platform. ■ Aff-oT anpwerinor several questions, Mr. WVicrht who prefers that confidence shall be loft tn the ballot box. was accorded a hearty voto of thanlo by acclamation.

MR. PTOANJ! AT LT.AU, B.;\A r . Mr. Dunlwir Sloane, Liberal candidate for AVcUington Suburbs, addressed a meeting nt Lynll Bay last nisrht. Mr. Fred Evans was in Uio chair. Sir. Slo;uie , spnko of the advantage* of a. State Bank. "I cannot uixler.stiiiul," .said the speaker, "any man in this country oi>i>oiing a State Bank." To put proper banking facilities within the reach of all was to his iriind the nlfn. aml,.ompjsi of the real welfare, and'happiness of (he people of the Dominion, Tho prefent system withholds these facilities from thousands of workers of great potential worth to this country. AVo required, if we were to advnnco nationally, local manufacture!;. These would be the greatest employers of labour, and the means of increasing the opportunities of the. wage-earners, befiiclcs affording a wider field for investors of saved money. To the exient of the foregoing our present, system had only been of limited social value. One hud only to take the latest banking returns to have this fart fully dniionstrated. Huge profits were mude by the few, whereas, a. true State ll.ink on sound lines would result in profits fur the many The Ktj>te lind always taken a hand in the banking affairs of this country, for it was only a few short years ai"'o when it had to come to the rescue of ono of our kad'Tiff banks. Ago in, a.s scon as wor was doclare<!, and people became a bit jumpy, along cimo the State and converted the note mconvertable lesal lender. 'Surely if the Slntp could do this for privaie sharehohlers it could do it for the poop , *. Accessibility of the small man to bunking fneilXio-S was the keynote of State bankiiiK, and he ventured to predict I hat the prosperity of this country would bo increassHl innnyfold by the nursing and encouraging of our local manufactures

and secondary industries with the assistance of a sound State banking system. Ho did not advocate tho 'buying out of the Bank of Now. Zealand, but the Government might withdraw its present interest and make a fresh start. The State Bank would not abolish tlrjo present banks—it would protect them, ,ind thus make our economic position sounder. Mr. Sioano dealt also with education and other questions of the day, ;nd was accorded a voto of thanks and confidence.

MR. CROSKERY AT KARORI. Mr. A.. W. Croskery, official Labour candidate for Wellington Suburbs, addressed a large mooting of electors at the Methodist Hall, Karori, last evening, Mr. B. W. Mommott being in the chair. The candidate, dealing with tho cost of living problem, and profiteering, said that the bulk of tho people had been called upon to mnke great sacrifices, which had been borne cheerfully and loyally, while the privileged few had been allowed and encouraged to exact tho highest prices tho market would bear. Commodities which wero sold wholesale before the war ot from 2J per cent, to 10 per cent, profit had been sold at profits ranging from 50 per cent, to, in somo cases, 200 per cent, on actual costs. Tlio Prime' 'Minister asked the question: "If it had been possible in England and olher countries to keep down the cost of living would not their statesmen havo done so?" And on thoso grounds sought to justify his Government's criminal neglect to protect the people from exploitation. We were not directly concerned with what took placi; in England, but fully three-fourths of British exporls (hiring the war had gone to foreign countries, and British war profit taxes were 16s. in the .£l. In this country the highest income taxes were 7s. fid. p'or X, and produced fiyo and a half million sterling. Had these incomes been taxed on the eamo basis as in the United Kingdom, they would have produced over twelve million , : sterliiiEr on ln.«t year's assossmont. This, said Mr. Croskery, was an indication of the enormous profits made, not at the expense of the foreigners, but through the exploitation of our own people, including the. widows <ind deppndont relatives of our (lend soldiers, The candidate received a hearty voto of thanks for his nddress.