The Member tor Westland

Hokitika Guardian, 20 February 1923, Page 4

The Member tor Westland

MR O'BRIEN’S MAIDEN SPEECH. (Wellington Dominion.) Air J. O’Brien (Labour, Westland), a new member, said that Labour bad nothing to expect from either the Reform or l.ilicral Parties. Dealing with a provides speaker's allegation that the Labour Party had only a strength of 10 members, and that the member for Afanukaii (Air Jordan) was an Independent. lie said that anyone associated with the Labour Party knew that a member endorsed l>v the national executive "as an official Labour candidate. Whether Reform or Liberals came together, nothing could prevent Labour from sweeping the polls m six years’ time. Reform’s career had been a long record of persecution of the worker. Criticising .the Government's administration of pensions of returned soldiers, Mr O'Brien said there was discrimination to the detriment of the the worker. He deplored the reduction of expenditure on pensions and hospitals, and said that the Afontal Hospital at Hokitika was in so dilapidated a state that the dinners °f the recovery of its inmates were very remote. He urged the medical examination of school children, as imperative in ihe interests of national health. He rnudemned I lie action of the Government hi allowing a private sawmill railway in .South Westland, where Hie country was rich enough to settle 10,000 farmers and their families. He did not welcome anv solution ol the present situation from the Leader of the Opposition, whose speech had been a wonderful flow ol words, with nothing on which the people could relv. Mr Will’drtl had seemed to he more anxious about the interest of the worker; the application of the vested interests to his party seemed appropriate. Labour would he quite pleased to fight both parties, as both would he expeeled to attack Labour. So long as He attempt was not made to twist Hie principles for which l.ahour stood, Labour would not complain. The speaker traversed many planks nl the Labwin* Party’s platform, and -aid Hint Xew Zealand’s happiest day would come when Labour uus in power. , X.Z. l imes). Mr .1. I)* Itiien I West land) if 'll i’e members of Ihe House voted on the Addross-in-Hcply as they bad pledged themselves on tie' Inisling-. : then the (oivernment would go out. ' Hear, hear, and laughter). He wauled to state definitely that they oil his side didn't want any members trom the Liberal Parly in i heir party. There were no "rat-catchers'’ on their -ide ,»( tie' House. Mr Harris had said : that ii Hie Liberal and the Ketnrm Parti"- did mil anile, we would have the i.ahour Party in power in six years from now; but il didn’t matter nl, (her Hie Liberal and the lletorin

Parties came together this instant er net. nothing would prevent the Labour Party being in power in six yeartime. The result ol the general election showed i hat. Both the other parties were utterly discredited. !!,.|, I- v il,.. 1 1, Ihel a, I Iha I I hi- A Hied hail entered t lie harhi.iir ol "wvru.i. in spite oi the put that tinTmks had sown mines there, he said . 1 ;r . up;!,, ship had struck a mine it would have nieanl war; the oil magnates would then have got ihe oil

welis. and that was what the war "as wanted for. lie eommeineil on the fact that the Government had saved epfi.t till last year in pensions. Under the three heads of pensions, education, and hospitals. the (lovei'iiment, had saved in id! LIAO,OOO. which accounted for no less than oiic-ewoifth of the Government's boasted saving of £l.9tii.(1(10. shown in tile Prime .Minister’s financial statement, lie stressed the urgent need for medical treatment as well as medical inspection oi school children.

Bevelling to the position ol parties, he predicted that the end of it all Would In' a fusion of the Reform and the Liberal Parlies: and Labour would he ''quite pleased to light the whole jolly lot. Because, it doesn’t matter, 11 1 e \ will light us, anyhow.” The l.abou’i Party was out to tight the trusts, the exploiters. If the cry "Revoliltjnmii'Y Socialism” meant that the Labour Party was against the exploiters and the rack-renters, then the other pel-ties could call them "Ucvolutiotiai'.v Socialists” lor all time. When the heaviest guns ol the oilier parlies W. IV all ini lied on Ihe l.ahour Party it would be the best possible thing fm Hie country. From that time the Labour Parly would wax and Hie ml"'!' panic- would wane; and the l.ahour Party would scon he in power. ‘ Applause..

■ I would like to see the members ol the Reform Party keeping a wife and six nr seven children on !A‘t IPs a week for a vear or so. We would then have a gootl many recruits from that, party over here,” '-aid Air J. O’Brien referring to the struggle that men v.ith large families have to make ends meet at the present time. M, A. 1,. Alonteith (Wellington Fust): They would he Red Feds. Laughter).