LABOUR PARTY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 118, 16 February 1928, Page 6

LABOUR PARTY

ADDRESS BY MR. HOLLAND Dominion Special Service. Auckland, February 15. The first of a series of addresses in the North Auckland district was given at Helensville last night by Air. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Labour Party. The gathering of 300 was presided over by Air. W. E- Barnard, and the speaker was given a most attentive hearing. Air. Holland criticised the failure of the Government land policy. He quoted figures to show that a rise of 200 per cent-had occurred in the aggregate of the amounts on mortgage, compared with a rise of only 80 per cent, in the aggregate capital values since the Reform Party took over the Government of the country. He also sought to show how Acts of Parliament, which were apparently designed to help the farmers, had been allowed to become a dead letter. In this connection he referred to the Rural Credit Act. that provided for an association to be formed by ten farmers. Although this Act was still on the Statute Book, no association had ever been formed. Air. Holland advocated a State Bank, which, be said, would keep down the rates of interest, and consequently reduce the financial burden of borrowers. He explained that the cuttingdown of wages would not assist the primary producers, but would have the contrary effect. He said that a general reduction of wages in Great Britain had reduced the purchasing power of the people, thus affecting the consumption of our butter, and in the same way a reduction in wages would be detrimental to the farmer here so far as the Home market was concerned.

The speaker urged that the Government should find work for the unemployed on roads, railways, and public works., especially those that had been dragging on (or a considerable time. He stated that Labour, in addition, stood for a contributory insurance scheme against unemployment. Mr. Holland gave an account of the events in Samoa leading up to the present situation.

At the conclusion a vote of thanks to Mr. Holland, and an expression of confidence in the Labour Party, was carried unanimously on the voices.