CAMPAIGN NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 18 November 1931, Page 2

CAMPAIGN NOTES

POINTS FROM SPEECHES. Within a few days county councils throughout New Zealand will have notice of the 12,) per cent, rebate which the ■ Government is allowing on rateSj I said the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. D. Jones), at iLee&ton, pH Mollday night. Mr Jones remarked that this rebate would benefit County ratepayers to the extent of 2s fid in the £. -H- •Jf- ft vt“We had 51,000 unemployed, when the Coalition came into power; to-day tlie number is under 50,(jOO. For the first time in the last three years, the figures show some signs of dropping. It is easy for. people to criticise, but when you recall that the numbers have grown from 2000 to 50,000 in two and a half years, you will realise that tlie problem is a tremendously difficult one. If we have 50,000 men on unproductive work, it would probably break the Dominion. We have to deal with the problem on sound lines, fostering secondary industries as well as agriculture, and I believe we can do it.”—the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. D. Jones), at Leeston on Monday night. * * * * The relations of employer and employee were briefly discussed by the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. D. Jones) at Leesffon. “Great Britain, Australia, not to mention Russsia, all have fantastic schemes to deal with unemployment,” said Mr Jones. “There is to-day, in every part of the world a severe conflict between the employer and the worker. If the problem is to be solved, they Will both have to recognise that their Interests are the same, and that they should cooperate with each other. If there is more co-operation of this kind, wo will have a greater value in what is paid and what the employer receives.” *'*#•* “I will give you a prediction,” said Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, at a meeting addressed by him in the Civic Theatre, Christchurch. “If the Coalition Government is returned to power, it will not be long before Mr Coates is Prime Minister again and Mr Forbes is busy packing his carpet hag for the High Commissionersliip.” \** * ' * “Unless prices for produce improve to an unexpected extent very soon, an alarming number of farmers will have to leave their farms. New Zealand is going to witness the biggest crash in its history within the next three or four months unless the Government comes to tlie aid of the farming community.”—Mr J. R. Connolly during his address at Rakaia, the first of his election campaign for the Mid-Canter-bury seat as a. Liberal Coalitionist. * * * -sfr “Provided that you recognise the right to work, and a man has got no work, then he must be maintained, and that maintenance is not charity—but one of the rights of citizenship.”—Mr J. K. Archer (Labour), when asked at Kaiapoi if he believed that unemployment relief should be given as a right, j instead of as charity. * * * “My opinion is that this Government in its treatment of civil servants is worse than a highwayman,” said Mr J. K. Archer, Labour candidate for Kaiapoi, in the course of an address at Kaiapoi. “A highwayman demands your pure, and if you don’t hand it over knocks out your brains. The Government doesn’t ask for the civil servants purse but stops it off their pay, and if they grumble gives them the sack. It is unfair, unjust, un-British, unmanly, immoral—everything that is wicked and bad.”