PROMISES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 140, 10 December 1929, Page 13

PROMISES

bad and worse

"They are bad," interjected a voice, When Mr. Nash (Labour candidate) remarked at Day's Bay last nights "Now I come to the "United Party's i promises." "Yes," replied Mr. Nash, ''they are almost as bad as the Reform Party's actions." He added that the United Party, in spite of its promises, had not lent one penny at 4J per cent., and it had not solved the unemployment problem. The last monthly abstract of Statistics showed that there ■were still 2500 registered unemployed; and there must to-day be from 4000 to 5000.people for whom the Government could not .find employment. The United Party had promised no increase in taxation, but it had increased the taxation on. the wealthy landowners—had put it up by 100 per cent, on some of them; and had doubled the primage duty. But the big landowners had no real ground for complaint; because, thanks to the Reform Party, they had paid no income tax:for six years past. He knew a big landowner with an income of £20,000 to & 30,000 a year who did not pay a penny, in income tax—(A voice: "Lucky dog!" Laughter)—while his manager at £500 a year had to pay income tax. The Reform Party abolished the income tax on the large landowners, and at the same- time "cut" the salaries of Public Servants getting only a few pounds a week.

A voice: "Why did the Labour Party vote for the primage duty?" Mr. Nash: "Because of the price they would have to pay—putting in the Eeform Party. The Labour Party remembered the history of the past 16 years, and refused to pay that price." (Applause, laughter, and dissent.) Owing to the frequent interjections that followed, the chairman said that a large number of ladies and gentlemen had come to hear Mr. Nash, and it was not fair for three or four irresponsible young fellows to prevent them doing so. He appealed for a fair hearing for the candidate. At the close of the meeting a vote of thanks and confidence was lost by a largo majority.