COALITION MANIFESTO

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 70, 13 November 1931, Page 5

COALITION MANIFESTO

(Press Assn.—

general election GOVERNMENT LEADERS ISSUE APPEAL FOR ELECTORS' SUPPORT MUST MEET POSITION BOLDLY

By Telegraph— Copyright).

WELLINGTON, Thursday. The following election manifesto has been issued by the leaders of the Coalition Government. "This general election takes place at a time of grave national crisis in New Zealand, associated with economic stress and peril effecting the whole world. » "In the last two years the national income of the people of New Zealand as a whole has fallen by £20,000,000. The price realised for our exports alone has deceased from £56,000,000 two years ago to £36,000,000 this year. Talking will not alter hard * facts and the fact is that as a people we are now faced with the necessity of living on a reduced income.

If we are to avoid national bankruptcy, the destruction of the people's savings, collapse of business, and even more extensive unemployment, then we must meet the situation boldly and without delay. "It was to do this that the Coalition Government was formed, and it is to achieve this task that we now ask a mandate from the people. The electors of the Motherland have recently shown by an overwhelming vote their determination to face the crisis with characteristic eourage and resolution, and the people- of New Zealand are now called upon to prove their equal determination to return a strong Government armed with authority to take all such measures that may be necessary. "The situation has changed so rapidly that responsible men cannot commit themselves in advance to details of a policy which may need to be modified to meet the ever-chang-ing conditions. The Government must be free to meet the new conditions as they arise. The issue at this election is between the strong, safe, careful policy of reconstruction adopted by the Coal ition Government leading the Dominion back to prosperity on the one hand, and on the other the promises of Socialism, which can lead only to disaster. "We are confident the people of New Zealand will respond to the call now made upon them, and that they will not in this hour of crisis be deluded by wild theories and ridiculous policies which can only result in irreparable damage to our credit and the whole economic structure of society. The effect of such a doctrine must inevitably be to delay the revival of business and industry and postpone our economic recovery and thus render it even more difficult to provide employment for the unemployed. "This is not a time for reeriminations or for expressions of party or pei-sonal differences. It is a time for us to stand shoulder to shoulder. The Reform and the United Parties have combined for the achievement of our eommon purpose — that of enabling our country to overcome its difficulties and return to prosperity. "As the leaders of the allied parties, we appeal to the electorate to give the Coalition Government candidates their whole-hearted support in the forthcoming election and thus assist in the task which we have set ourselves." The manifesto is signed by the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes and the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates.