POLITICAL MEETING

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 23, 13 April 1938, Page 3

POLITICAL MEETING

ADDRESS BY MR. OSBORNE M.P. ... • Y - ' . ' 'Ci /■ • ■ NATIONAL PARTY ATTACKED •An interesting address en behalf of the Labour Party was delivered by Mr Osborne, AI.P.- for; Manuka it, in the Parish Hall on Monday night. The speaker was introduced by the Mayor, Mr G. S- Moody, who was in the chair, while Mr A. G. Hultquist, M.P. for .Bay of Plenty, also extended a welcome to Air Osborne. No Government, said Air Osborne, had accomplished so much in so short a. time as the Labour Government, ;in(| when the national superannuation scheme lias been put on the Statute Clock the last of the 12 points on which it went to the country will have been accomplished l .

The appeal of the National Party at the last election as the result of maladministration fell on deaf ears, and by an overwhelming majority—the largest vote ever recorded for one ■party in New Zealand —Labour was returned.

No member in the House of Representatives to-day fuifilled his duties as religiously and faithfully as Air. .Hultquist.

The speaker continued by attacking some extraordinary statements made !>v opponents. Air. Coates, at DargavUle, had said that the Government’s policy was one of simple Communism. Everybody knew that Communists were denied the right of membcM ship to the Labour Party.

Air Doidge, an aspirant for the Rotorua seat and one i f the founders of the Democrat Party, who resigned and contested his seat as an Independent, once said' at Rotorua that the Coates and Forbes Government had turned a complete somersault, and that Mr Coates was the head of a Soviet Government. In the background. Mr Doidge had said, was the Prime Alinister, who played the part of n rubber stamp. And now Air. Doidge. after two years, was a colleague of Air. Coates, saying the same things about Labour.

Statements were being whispered about, but not from the platform, that the Government would taice the land iiom farmers. Prior to the election full page advertisements had appeared in the city newspapers stating that if the Labour Party were returned to power people would be robbed of their homes. Instead, the Government was building thousands of new homes for the people. in towns the rents were 10 to 25 per (rent lower than these private enterprise rented. P.ents tor private houses were from £2 os to -03 3s. while Government houses were 10s, 13s and 20s less.

Continuing, the speaker said that the increased costs were not ail brought about by the legislation of the Government. Prices were soaring all over the world. Prior .to last election the hanks issued advertisements in the press saying that if the Labour Party got into power it would rob the people of their savings. Let this year £5,000,000 more than last year was deposited in the Savings Banks, and last year had increased by £2.000,000 over the previous year. The money represented not the savings of the big squatters, but tuo.se of young men and women and the small working farmer. I'iieve ware over '30,000 more depositors. The National Party was trying to convince the country that the bigger wages were cancelled out by higher costs, but this was not so because the people saved £5,000.000 more. Mr Osborne said lie had heard Mr. Sullivan speak at .Rotorua and

thought- he was going to hear something of the National Party’s policy. Mr Sullivan had said he stood for freedom but a few years ago his prrty denied the right, to civil servants who would have been dismissed if .thd.v took any part in politics. Mr had said the party was a ope ,bub in the main they were thJk-sr.nie people. When they weie trying to select a new name fur the party, Mr. Poison, according to the printed minutes of the National Par-

tv, had said that great care must be * taken to avoid taking any steps that r would cause the public to think it was the same old gang. There was an organisation in Auckland known as the “Kelly Gang”, consisting of I financial magnates controlled the actions of the' Reform and Coalition parties in the past and they

would also control the actions of the national Party if they were returned. All Sullivan had spent .'five minutes putting forward the aims of the new party and about 40 minutes in a tirade of abuse against the Labour Party.

Air Osborne said tlie Government’s record of promises fulfilled stood out in relief against tlie broken promises of previous governments. Air Sullivan had accused the Government of wasteful expenditure on Public .Works and yet when challenged from the body of the ball refused to take up the challenge. The speaker (Air. Osborne), was. impressed with the work done on the Rotorua main highway. Public works undertakings, despite higher wages and, cost of materials had been considerably reduced. Not cue item of expenditure under the heading of Public Works bad been challenged by the Opposition — with the. exception of two—one an overhead railway* bridge where the objector gave as liis reason that nobody had been killed there—and the other a drain on an aerodrome.

The Labour Government had been accused of reckless borrowing. The national debt in New Zealand had increased by Lo.OOO.CCO. With various increased pensions, etc - ., the country was living within its income. The Government had also reduced overseas indebtedness by £2,000,000'. The Coates Government had increased it by £30.000,000 in four years, nearly sill of which was borrowed overseas in a boom period when the country should have been living within its income.

The speaker claimed that prosperity could be seen on all sides. The Government had taken more away from the wealthy people and redistributed it iu a more equitable manner amongst the smaller people. When the Labour Party came into power the Commission had reported that over 50 per cent, of the small farmers were insolvent.

Wages and salaries had been induced overnight by the previous government. breaking all existing agreements which had been treatcM as a scrap of paper. The Labour Government had rostered wages to the 19'31 standard within six months. Girls in shops had been receiving 10s to 12s 6d per week after working for the same employer for five years. Ihe Labour Government gave them a decent standard of life 3 to enable them to marry and contribute to the welfare cf the country. One young man 21 years of age, in a warehouse for five years, was receiving only 25s per week. lAs long as the Labour Government. was in power those were days of the past.

The speaker .then referred to the various increases in pensions which had been reduced by the previous government because Mr Coates-want-ed to. balance the Budget. The Reform Government promised a superannuation scheme from 1912-28 and l yet Labour was accused of not carrying out promises.

Dealing with the guaranteed prices the speaker said that the Government’s promise was to give the farmer an equivalent to an eight to ten year average.,. The Government took a ten-year average because that was higher and £500,000 was added to the average price to meet any extra costs. The principle of the guaranteed price brought stability and security into the dairy industry. Ireviously prices jumped all over the place- but to-day the farmer knew 12 months ahead wlmt price he would receive. On :i compensatory price with a fluctuating overseas market the farmer would never know what his income would be. All'. Coates "was throwing sand .in the farmers’ eyes, because, they never had had the, right to market overseas as they wished. It had been in the control of the banks and the Tooley Street merchants. The number of commission a,rants had been reduced and £100,600 per annum had been saved. Everything before bad been for the squatters in Hawke's Bay at the expense of the small farmer. Half as much manure again had been used for the past 12 months as in the boom period of 1928-29. Cars were being purchased in large numbers by farmers all over the. country 1 . And yet. the speaker said, people were being told by Mr Coates and Air Sullivan that the farmer was worse off than in 1935.

The lefitler of the Oppositon, Mr Osborne said, was slump-minded. The speaker then quoted figures ..'widen were indications of prosperity. The totali§gtqr investments, for. years 1934-3# were £4;fc11935-*3fl,. £4 ,* 4.45.090; 1936-37, £6,220,000. Figures

af, the Bay of Plenty meetings were £26,000, £40.000 and £49,000; at Rotorua £26.000. £'36.000, £44,000/ National Broadcasting licenses issued totalled 183,000, 231.000 and 272.000. Manures and phosphates produced in New Zealand were: 1929-30, 265,00(1 tons; 1931-32, 216,000 tons; 1934-35 317,000 tons and 1936-37, 347,000 tons. Imported manures and phosphates were: 1934-35, 275,000 tons; 1936-37.• 428,000 tons. .At the conclusion of the address questions were asked by members of tlie audience. Air S. Maxwell enquired. as to the reason for the different rates for the invalidity pensioners and the burnt-out “Diggers”. Air Osborne replied that the burnt-out “Diggers” were not altogether incapacitated, while invalids wore. He agreed, however, that there was an anomaly, and thought that the allowable income should he increased. Air Maxwell also asked if Air Osborne thought the medical treatment received under the proposed scheme would be sufficient. Air Osborne replied that the service given by the friendly society doctors was as good as could ho obtained! anywhere. HoW4 ever, there might be a few slackers amongst the doctors and these would soon he weeded out. The meeting was concluded with a hearty vote' of . thanks, moved by Air T. G. Johnson and seconded by Air J. J. Aloo'dy.