FRIENDLY AUDIENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 84, 6 October 1938, Page 22

FRIENDLY AUDIENCE

MRS. C. STEWART

MORNINGTON MEETING

An audience of over seventy people gave Mrs. C. Stewart, Labour candidate for Wellington West, a most attentive hearing when she spoke in the Vogelmbrn Hall, Mornington, last evening. The only interjections were of a friendly nature and a vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously by acclamation. Mr. W. Jennings presided. Quoting from a report of one of her opponent's meetings, Mrs. Stewart said that Mr. Wright had remarked that j wealth in New Zealand was as evenly j distributed as in any other country in ', the world. Surely he had realised from his long experience of national affairs that there was something radically wrong with the monetary system in New Zealand, but he seemed to think that because the position in the Dominion was no worse than elsewhere there should be no necessity for improvement. Mrs. Stewart said she was proud to belong to a party that in such a short term of office had been able to accomplish so much through the taking over and proper operation of the Reserve Bank. The Government's Opponents were attempting to plant the germ of fear in the minds of the people regarding the future of the country's banking system, but she could say emphatically that there was no danger of the ruin that the National Party prophesied would be visited upon the people if Labour continued in office. SOCIAL SECURITY. j Frequent applause punctuated Mrs. Stewart's explanation of the social | security legislation. She spoke par- i ticularly of the benefits to be provided j for invalids and others in similar need j and mentioned the case of a blind man who had told her that he had never before voted'for Labour, but, now that the social security scheme had ";takeh definite shape he would never vote for any other party. A voice: He has been blind until recently, Mrs. Stewart: Yes, but he can see now. Despite all that had been said regarding the opposition of the medical profession to the Government's health scheme, said Mrs. Stewart, she had a greater faith in the doctors than to believe it. The real doctor was a man with a mission in life, and while there was probably a minority in any walk of life intent only on the monetary aspect of their work, from her experience of doctors she was convinced that the great majority of them were above that sole consideration. Advances in education and housing activities -under the Labour Government were dealt with by Mrs. Stewart. ■In'-regard* to the cost of living she said that beteen 1935 and 1938 retail prices had risen 12£ per cent, but the increase in wages was 24 per cent., leaving a balance of Uh per cent, of added purchasing power. In appealing for support for the Labour Party Mrs. Stewart said that the electors had a golden opportunity to continue to make New Zealand a living example to the rest of the world. | (Applause.) ■'.'■*'