MR BODKIN’S CAMPAIGN

Mt Benger Mail, 12 October 1938, Page 2

MR BODKIN’S CAMPAIGN

The National Candidate for Central Otago, Mr W. A. Bodkin, M.P., addressed a large attendance in the Town Hall, Roxburgh, on Monday evening. His Worship the Mayor, F. A. Laloli, Esq., presided over a very quiet meeting, it being evident that the speaker had taken over the interest and support of the gathering. In introducing the speaker the Mayor stated that he would be failing in his public duty were he not to refer to the splendid work that Mr Bodkin had done for his electorate during his 10 years of stewardship. In regards to Borough work he had always found him very considerate in respect to any request that* the Borough had brought forward. Mr Bodkin in the course of his speech compared step by step the aims of the National Party with the. Socialistic aims of the Labour Party. He emphasised very strongly that the real issue of the election would be Socialism against private enterprise. The Labour Party was pledged to Socialism and Mr Bodkin read passages from Mr Lee’s book “Socialism in New Zealand” to support his -argument that if New Zealand was not prepared to accept Socialism it would have it forced upon it by a Labour Government. If Labour were returned to office it had to break down still further private enterprise. This could not be done in prosperous times and it would be in the depths of the next depression that Labour’s policy would be tried out. Then the ‘Great Experiment’ which the editor of the New Zealand Standard refers to would be tried out. The National Party was pledged to a sound land settlement policy instead of Labour Party’s Public Works Scheme which had done nothing to nut the unemployed into work that would make them independent. At the conclusion of the meeting Mr J. George proposed a vote of thanks to the speaker and also a motion of confidence in the National Party. He stated that although, he did not regard himself in any way as a prophet he was convinced that the next time we would see Mr Bodkin on the platform he would be there as a Minister of the Crown. (Applause). The motion was seconded by Mr A. L. Fraser and carried by acclamation.