LABOUR'S CAMPAIGN

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 131, 29 November 1929, Page 12

LABOUR'S CAMPAIGN

MR. W. JNTASH AT PETONE

ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING

Tho Labour candidate in the Hutt by-election,, Mr. Walter Nash, opened his campaign last night in the Petone Labour Hall before an enthusiastic capacity audience. The candidate spoke for an hour and forty minutes, for a large part of the time by the light of candles on the platform, the electric light having failed.

The Mayor of Petone (Mr. D. M'Kenzie), who presided, briefly introduced tho candidate as a' well-known exponent of Labour's principles. _ Mr. Nash commenced with an expression of sympathy with the Prime Minister <Sir Joseph Ward) in his continued ill-health, and voiced the hope that he would.regain strength and come .back again into'■ political life. He also congratulated the sitting member for the district (the Hon. T. M. .Wilford) on his appointment as High Commissioner. -

The candidate said he regarded the present electoral campaign as one of the most interesting in the political history of New Zealand. The eyes of the Dominion were on the Hutf'electorate and he hoped the tension of tho three weeks ahead would be followed by the relief and joy of victory in the hearts and homes of the workers

UNION OF PARTIES?

lho present day political situation, said Mr. Nash, "is unique. With three parties in Parliament we havo the position that not one of them has the1 confidence of a majority of the people. One thing, however, is certain the electors last December clearly and emphatically, without a shadow of uncertainty, stated "that they had no confidence in the Reform Party, and it is accepted that omitting-one or two of the members of the present Government, there is no difference between the members of Reform and the United Parties. The evidence available suggests that without the present Prime Minister, the majority of the members of the United Party would automatically unite with the party led by Mr. Coates. If a group of Reformers and Uniteds • were discussing politics in general it would take a super-Sherlock Holnles.tp discover any clue that would enable.you to determine the difference." ■■''■ -They were, however, he said, kept apart to-day because no one understanding New Zealand politics could imagine Sir Joseph Ward linking up with Mr. Coates and the Reformers, however much the, remaining members of the United Party might desire to do so. The issue was'plain; it was either a matter of supporting Labour or anti-Labour". Referring to the retirement from the contest of Mr". H. D. Bennett; Mr. Nash recalled that Mr. Bennett had'urged the two other oppos: ing candidates to get together and compose any minor difficulties they might have between . them, so that a united front could be presented against the Labour candidate. Could thero be any clearer indication that the two' opposing parties were the same, and that the fight was between the anti-Labour Parties and the Labour Party? Mr. Nash said that the Labour Party members, in and out of Parliament, had consistently: and courageously fought

for justice for tho workers and their families,, and the anti-Labour forces, when in office, did nothing to raise the living standard, but when out of office would promise, anything to get control onco more over the finance and laws of tho Dominion. , REFORM'S RECORD. Tho candidate went on to criticise tho record of- the Reform Party. Since 1921, he said, they had reorganised taxation so that the load previously carried by the wealthy section of the community had been transferred to the whole of the people by way of increased Customs duties. They had consecutively reduced the tax on super-incomes to 8s 9Jd in 1921; to 7s 4d in 1922; to 5s lOd in 1923; to 4s lOd in 1924; and to 4s 6d in 1925; whilst, at the same time reducing the wages and salaries of the workers in and out of the Public Service. The Reform Party had three- years to carry out its policy, but instead of their promises materialising between 1925 and 1928, they had increased the interest rates on the State Advances loans, and reduced the amount of advances; they had curtailed the activities of the Post Office Savings Bank and -had assisted the private bankers to control the wealth of the Dominion; they had smashed the marketing ~" system of the dairy farmers; their land and finance policy had driven thousands of people off the land; and they had created unemployment to such an unprecedented extent that the Dominion had not yet recovered. WORK OF THE UNITED PARTY. Dealing with the United Party, Mr. Nash said it could best be judged on the legislation and administrative work of the past twelve months. They had passed the Land and Income Tax Amendment Bill, doubled the primage duty, extended the Rent Restriction Act, and. dropped all other Bills which would in any way jeopardise their hold on the Treasury benches. The promised tax reductions had not matured, but instead the Government had doubled the primage duty. Some of the worst features of that tax—the extra imposts on .food —-had been removed under pressure from the Labour members of Parliament. (Applause.) The United Party's main object during the recent session had been to get the work of the session over in October, and thus, apart from the Bills he had mentioned, no other legislation of importance had been passed. "They were like Hamlet without Hamlet himself,", said Mr. Nash; the Prime Minister was ill, and whenever they wanted to do anything in the House they had to go up to his chamber and see if it was all right. (Laughter.)

A voice: "Well, well; that is awful."

Mr. Nash referred to incidents in the House when he said Ministers had announced that they had been instructed by the Prime Minister to say' certain things, and he submitted that sort of Government ought to be altered at the earliest possible moment.

The Government had declared that the •unemployment problem would be solved in five weeks, but while work had been found for 5860 men, there were still thousands of registrations. .However, the Government had done something to help those who were suffering from unemployment,. but they had stopped the publication of unemployment statistics so that the people might not know how many unemployed were registered. The ' Government imagined they had solved : unemployment by not letting the people know the extent of tho trouble. "This Government," he declared, "never 'will understand the unemployment problem, because they do not understand the workers' position and the economics of the world to-day."

CREDIT FOR STATE ADVANCES,

Mr. Nash, while saying it was impossible for Sir Joseph Ward to fulfil his promise to reduce State Advances interest rates, gavp credit to him for having made more money available to enable workers to build homes, a thing they would not have been able to do if the Reform Party had continued in office. • The Government had, however, failed to meet the legitimate demands of the school com: mittees for increased capitation. Tho allowance of 7s 6d per head per annum for primary schools was totally inadequate and was grossly unfair ;when compared with the 54s per head allowed for secondary schools. Its inadequacy was recognised by the Government, and yet they had failed to increase the grant. The school committees' work was being hampered because of the inadequacy of the allowance. FAIR FOR ALL. Dealing with the family allowances as a matter of the Labour Party policy, the candidate said the effect of the legislation passed, by the Reform Party in 1926 was that the total number of allowances paid last year was only 3154,. and he referred to specific instances of large families to illustrate the inadequacy of the allowance. This again, showed the imperative need for sending representatives to Parliament who knew the needs of the working people. When Labour was returned to office the allowance would be increased to an adequate amount. Mr. Nash outlined the Bill put forward by the Labour Party in Parliament to provide for workers' unemployment insurance on a contributory basis, and maintained, in connection with the unemployment problem, that it was the duty of. the State to provide work for those who wished to work. If Labour was given a chance to write the laws of the country it would do the fair thing for all,' but their first energy and first thought would be for those oii the lower rungs of the social ladder. (Applause.) Questions were invited at tho close of the address, but none were asked. A motion was carried unanimously expressing thanks to, and complete confidence in, the candidate, and undertaking support for the candidate. The meeting' concluded with cheers for Mr. and Mrs. Nash.