"POLITICAL HUMBUG"

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

"POLITICAL HUMBUG"

MB. KERR'S VIEW

Allegations of political camouflage and humbug on the part of the Reform and Labour Parties1 in regard to the Uvil Service "cuts" were made by Mr. J. Kerr, United candidate for Hutt, in his speech at Eastbourne last night.

I want to be quite fair ana open on this question," said Mr. Kerr. "I believe, and I will say it from every platform I speak from, that I believe the Civil Servants in this country have not been fairly dealt with. (Applause.) The time is coming when they will .eeeive what is due to them. What surprises me is the attitude of both the Reform and Labour candidates who are showing great concern for the lower-paid men. Take the Eeform Party,'s attitude. It hardly, peeda

me to tell you that the whole matter is nothing but political humbug. What sort of a man can Mr. Coates be politically? He tells-us now that he would give £15 to the under-paid men, but what did ho do during all Ms years of office? Without any trouble, he could have fulfilled his great heart-felt desire, if any such desire existed." (Hear, hear.)

They were tola, said Mr. Kerr, that it would cost, about £.200,000 a year to restore tho Civil Service "cuts," but Mr. Coates had made no move, even when there was a surplus at the end of the year. "Now, after leaving the United Party with a deficit of over £577,000, he asks Sir Joseph Ward why he doesn't increase tho pay of the Civil Servants," said Mr. Kerr. "The men in the Civil Service know who their friends are. The Labour Party is also trying to put over a lot of camouflage. In this election lam going to hit out at the two other parties, but I want it to be understood that in attacking the Labour Party I am not attacking the working man. (Applause.) I am a better friend of Labour than tho Labour candidate. I will give second place to no man in my desire to promote the welfare of this my native country." Mr. Kerr recalled the motion of no-confidence, moved in the House by the Labour Party on the question of the "cuts," and said Mr. Holland had so worded his motion that it could not be accepted by the Beform Party. They suggested a super-tax to meet the whole of the cost, and one co.uld not imagine the Reform Party accepting such a proposal. "The motion was never meant to be carried," declared Mr. Kerr. "It was a lot of political humbug and camouflage. The Labour Party was so frightened that Eeform would vote with it that Labour speakers almost insulted Eeform members who spoke in favour of the motion." (Applause.) Mr. Kerr quoted an extract from the "Katipo," the official organ of the P. and T. employees, in which a Napier correspondent declared that Labour's motion was an insult to their intelligence. The Labour Party's . game was realised — even in Napier. (Laughter ana applause.) The "United Party was the only party that was able to give a straight-out answer on the question, and a definite promise had been made that as soon as they were out of the woods financially the "cuts" would be restored.. "I take it that the word of a man like Sir Joseph Ward is good enough for the Civil Servants of this country," declared Mr. Kerr, amidst applause. The ' United , Party had found work for tho workless and he believed the Civil Servants would be willing to wait for their just due until work haa been found for every man in the country. (Loud applause.)