"OBSOLETE POLICY"

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 23, 28 January 1938, Page 10

"OBSOLETE POLICY"

OPPOSITION LEADER

MR. SAVAGE ON PROSPERITY {

"THE RISING TIDE"

"The Leader of, the Opposition has made another futile attempt to belittle the rising tide of prosperity in New/ Zealand," said the Prime Minister (the! Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) in an interview today. "He refers to my recent statement concerning the impressive evidence of prosperity under Labour rule during the past two years as a 'parade of statistics and glib, talk of millions.' Indeed, after several days 'of reflec-1 tion, the Hon. Adam Hamilton came to the conclusion that I, as Prime Minister, had to be content with 'painting the clouds with sunshine.' "Well, even if that were so, surely that must be better than following the Nationalist' Party's practice of blackening the outlook with pitch. MISGUIDED LOYALTY. "Mr.. Hamilton at least has the loyalty of the man who clings to an obsolete policy," continued Mr. Savage. "As a Minister in the former 'Depression Government' and as an incurable pessimist, he has lieen so used to drabness that he cannot appreciate luminous facts. His political and economic ideas take the form of 'menacing shadows.' Do Mr. Hamilton and his friends want to go back to the days and ways of social misery and unexampled impoverishment of the people? One can only feel sorry fcjr a party leader whose daily job is found only in predicting economic disaster. "Is the Nationalist policy still based on wage cuts and parsimonious treatment of the aged and the poor? Is that the reason why the party considers it imprudent to disclose its policy? FIGURES AND FACTS. "It would seem that Mr. Hamilton is angry over the great increase in the value of production. The conditions are so novel >to him that he is disgruntled. Under his Government's disastrous rule the total value of production dropped £37,000,000 in two years. Although the farmer worked harder than ever before his reward generally was bankruptcy. Under Labour rule the value of production has increased in two years by £39,100,000, while the small farmer's weekly income has risen from £2 to £5 15s—his net income after paying rent, interest, and working expenses. These may seem a lavish use of statistics, but they happen to be facts. "Again, under the guidance of the former Conservative Administration the aggregate private income decreased within two years by £20,000,000. Since the country wisely dismissed the 'Black Cloud Government' the national income has been raised by £37,000,000., "What is the use of Mr. Hamilton saying that taxation 'has wiped out prosperity' when it is prosperity itself which is bringing in the additional revenue? People have more left over after paying taxation, and more than half the taxes goes directly back to the people' in. social services., MORE PURCHASING POWER. "What is the use of saying that purchasing , power is decreasing when wages have increased more than prices? Wages are higher than they were in 1929, but prices are lower. "Mi*. Hamilton Says lam an optimist when I say that people are enjoying their prosperity," Mr. Savage concluded.' "Does he me^in 'that they are miserably enduring it? - This is 1938, not 1932. The holiday -season just passed has been a record one in every respect, and I do not need to make any parade of statistics to prove that the people- are enjoying prosperity."