RIMUTAKA TUNNEL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 84, 6 October 1938, Page 7

RIMUTAKA TUNNEL

LABOUR'S PROMISE

WILL BE FULFILLED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

CARTERTON, October 5.

The Featherston Town Hall was packed last night for an address by the Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan). The Minister traced the history of representations made for over fifty years by the people of the Wairarapa in connection with the Rimutaka tunnel. x . "I will tell you definitely that the Labour Government will build the tunnel, the completion of which will bring tremendous development to the Wairarapa." The Minister went on to say that the National Party was using propaganda that he had never seen used before. They were making every. effort.to make their opponents appear to be traitors to the country and the Empire. He challenged the Opposition to fight on anything Labour had done —the 40-hour week, increase in wages, mortgage legislation* restoration of pensions cuts, Reserve Bank legislation, guaranteed price. He described as a humbug the statements concerning the socialisation of land, industry, and business. He would say definitely that that was not part of Labour's policy. On the contrary Labour would do all it could to keep the people on the farms and in shops. They were interested only in the wellbeing of the people. "The only reason for which the Government would take control of industry would be if it felt it could give the people of the Dominion a better service than they were receiving under existing conditions," he said. A vote of confidence in the Government was carried unanimously. Speaking at Martinborough Mr. Sullivan said it was strange to hear members of the National Party stating that public works should not be undertaken in times of prosperity and to find in times of depression, v that the same people say there was no money for public works. To return such a party could only mean that the chances of works such as the tunnel being undertaken were very romote. The only way to ensure completion of the job was to vote for the Labour Government, which would definitely do the work. -