ELECTION CAMPAIGN NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 56, 3 September 1943, Page 3

ELECTION CAMPAIGN NOTES

Government House.

A new Government House on a different site and more in keeping, with the dignity of the gubernatorial position is promised by Mr. R. Malcolm, Independent, Wellington North. He would, he said last evening, remove Government House from its present site and use the land for building homes for the people. "At the present moment," he said, "we have the Governor-General of New Zealand living near the Basin Reserve occupying an ex-public asylum on 54 acres of land—land growing trees when it could be used for homes to grow babies. Let us provide him with a modern home and use the land for people's homes." Necessaries and Luxuries. Referring to the Labour Party's announced intention in 1935 of abolishing the sales tax, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, National candidate for Wellington North, showed an audience in St. Andrew's Hall last evening how the sales tax had been increased and how it operated unfairly. "The sales tax today on a fur coat is 10 per cent., and on a baby's bonnet 20 per cent. Needs some readjustment, doesn't it? On some of the most necessary things in the home you pay higher sales tax than on things that are not essential but desirable, and I'm surprised that this great philanthropist, Mr. Nash, hasn't altered it long ago." "All Eye-wash." "They say that these land courts are going to be composed of men with a chairman with the qualifications of a Judge of the Supreme Court," said Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, National candidate for Wellington North, at St. Andrew's Hall last evening, in reference to the Land Sales Bill. "It sounds grand, as though he would be a man who actually had the qualifications of a man who sits on the Bench, and it is meant to sound like that. To qualify legally to sit on the Supreme Court Bench all you have to do is to pass your law examinations and practise for a few years. Not that you would be appointed. You may be the rottenest lawyer in the country, but still, legally, not practically, you are qualified for the , Supreme Court Bench. It's all eye-wash. Such a man does not have the qualifications that characterise a Judge who is in fact appointed to the Supreme Court. If the Government doesn't like him they can remove him—they can't with Judges. Thank heaven the Judges are immune from political influence." Access to the Courts. "We have had a ireat many instances of the interference by this Government with the rights which the people of this country and the British countries have always had to free access to the Courts. *We have had example after example of decisions involving the livelihoods of people and involving the carrying on of businesses of people, decisions being left entirely to a Minister without any right of appeal from him to anyone at all. We believe that everyone should have the right of appeal to the impartial, established tribunals of the country— i the Courts."—Mr. T. C. A. Hislop,j National candidate for Wellington North, at St. Andrew's Hall last evening. Example to the World. , New Zealand was an example to the rest of the world in the orderly marketing of primary produce, said the Minister of Finance (Mr. Nash) in an address in ' Christchurch, when replying to criticism of Government interference in business. He asked what would have happened if there had been complete freedom to import whatever people wanted to import. In New Zealand they imported what the people needed and not what some could make a profit out of. Other countries envied New Zealand's controls, and wished they could get them with the consent of their peoples. If New Zealand lost those controls they would get back to the conditions of 1929. If prices were allowed to soar as they had done then they would reach a' peak and topple over. "Meddling and Muddling." Dealing with the cost of living, Mr. W. A. Sheat (National candidate for Patea), speaking at Hawera, ridiculed the claim that this had increased less under Labour than in any other country. Never before had essential items of food and clothing been dearer or scarcer than fat present. In spite of millions spent in subsidies to keep prices down, the average person knew that, as he received more and more money, each pound of it bought less and less. The war might account for a good deal of this, but State trading •and official meddling and muddling were bigger factors. Administration Economy. A question as to how he proposed to make up the revenue which would be lost if the party carried out its announced policy of relieving taxation on the lower incomes was asked of Mr. C. M. Bowden, National candidate for Wellington West, at his Brooklyn meeting last night. The reply by the candidate that the party anticipated making sufficient economies in the internal administration of the Dominion to meet the deficiency was heartily endorsed. An Audience's Answer. When dealing with the cost of living in an address to electors at Brooklyn last night, the National candidate for Wellington West (Mr. C. M. Bowden) tried a question on his large audience. "What would you do with the Internal Marketing Division?" he asked. "Wipe it" out!" "Abolish it!" were typical of the replies chorused from all parts of the hall.

Liquor Laws>.

i "We say that the liquor laws of this country must be looked into. It is appalling the way they are flouted today," said Mr. L. T. Jacobsen, National Party candidate for Wellington East, at his meeting at Miramar last night. "It is a disgrace to see so many of our people so often and so heavily under the influence of liquor." The National Party would set up a Royal Commission under the presidency of a Supreme Court Judge to investigate the whole liquor question; if its finding was a drastic one, there would be a referendum of the people. Profit Sharing. Strong advocacy of the principle of profit sharing in industry was expressed by Mr. L. T. Jacobsen, National Party candidate for Wellington East, at Miramar last night. Giving as an outstanding example of the benefits of profit sharing the business conducted by the leader of the party, Mr. S. G. Holland, Mr. Jacobsen said he i wanted to see every man and every | woman who worked in factories and similar concerns rewarded for the work they put into them. He would never rest content until that system was universal throughout New Zealand. "I know that trades union secretaries are not enamoured of the scheme," Mr. Jacobsen added, "because they know that if it becomes universal and works smoothly they may find themselves out of their jobs." Prophetic Role Promised. Answering a question, "What would you do if elected?" Mr. A. C. Barrington, Christian Pacifist candidate for Wellington East, undertook at Melrose to fulfil the- role of a prophet in Parliament, pointing out that the prophets of old were men of the people who warned kings, rulers, and national leaders of the folly of evil, selfcentred, nationalistic policies, and of the doom threatening the nation if i they persisted in oppressing the poor, indulged in power politics, sought national aggrandisement, and landed their people in war. The prophets, he said, called upon the people to replace such discredited leaders by men of righteousness and peace. A Smokescreen. The Labour Party was trying to create a smokescreen by claiming that the Land Sales Act would be used to take over large holdings only, declared Mr. W. A. Veitch, National candidate for Wellington Suburbs, at Taita last night. On the contrary, said Mr. Veitch, the Act provided that any farm land could be taken and that might include any farm any size, and apply even to land held by returned soldiers from the last war. Above Their Means. "My grouch about the State housing' scheme is that the houses they built were much too good and cost too much —they were no good to the working man, who can't afford to pay the rent." said Mr. Mark Grace. Democratic Labour candidate for Marlborough. at Blenheim. The idea had been all right, but the wrong type, of home had been built. "We say, put up a house that qan be rented for about 15s a week—leave out the stream-lined taps and build a family home that is some use to the working man and which he can buy if he wants to," he said. Where Was He Then? In a general denunciation of party leaders, Mr. R. Malcolm, Independent. Wellington North, last evening accused Mr. Hislop of changing his political coat. His experience as leader of the Democrat Party a few years ago should be sufficient to discredit him in the political field. A voice from the audience: What was Mr. Davy doing at that time, Mr. Malcolm? (Laughter.) Mr. Malcolm (after a noticeable hesitation): We will keep the fun and games till question time; you will have your chance then. It was Marvellous! The man-power position of this country was reviewed by Mr. A. H. Langslow, Labour candidate, in ,an address to Patea electors. He stated that with production levels up in all fields the position was more than satisfactory—it was marvellous. This year after providing production for two divisions overseas, battledress for England, South Africa, and America, New Zealand was also providing £20,000,000 worth of extra produce for the Americans in the Pacific. Facing Up to It. "We are not afraid to face up to that problem," said Mr. C. M. Bowden (National candidate for Wellington West) when referring in the course of an address to licensing reform. "I do not think that conditions of the liquor, licensing systems are satisfactory to the public or to the trade." His party, he said, would waste no time in referring the matter to a Royal Commission, and would place the report of that Commission before the public for its endorsement or rejection. It was an issue, he added, that had been very carefully shelved by successive Governments over a long period. Mr. En dean's Position. There were about fifty people present at a meeting of friends and supporters called by Mr. W. P. Endean, the sitting member for Remuera, who is seeking re-election as an Independent against the official National candidate, Mr. R. M. Algie. Only eight people supported a motion that Mr. Endean should go forward as an Independent National candidate, and the chairman refused to accept an amendment that Mr. Endean should withdraw from the campaign. Various speakers accused Mr. Endean of "letting the party down" in not submitting his name to a selection ballot.