Reform Policy Keenly Defended

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 156, 22 September 1927, Page 11

Reform Policy Keenly Defended

LABOUR ASSAILED MR. McLEOD SPEAKS AT NGARUAWAHIA (From Our Oicn Correspondent) NGARUAWAHIA, To-day. The Hon. A. D. McLeod. Minister of Lands, addressed about 200 electors at the Ngaruawahia Town Hall last evening:. The Mayor, Mr. L. H. Sampson, occupied the chair. After reference to the death of the Hon. R. F. Bollard, Mr. McLeod dealt with the candidature of Mr. Waring, who, he said, was New Zealand-born and had done his share in the work of agricultural production. The Labour Party did not represent the genuine worker of the country, he said. Labour was out for the nationalisation of everything, including even the banking and exchange business. If a 40-hour week were obtained how could a farmer do his work in such a restricted time? NEW ZEALAND BORROWING MODEST '‘Much has been made of the extreme borrowing of this Government by various politicS.l parties, but our borrowing was quite modest compared with that of Australia. New Zealand Government securities were the highest in the colonial Empire.” Farmers were not the people to expect the State to make good deficiencies on loans made for their benefit. “There is only one issue in this campaign,” said Mr. McLeod. “You are to accept the wild statements of extreme Labour or the solid facts given by the Reform Government.” In answer to questions, the Minister said that miners were the best all-round paid men in the country, and doubtless they earned their pay. His Government had offered to hand certain coal measures over to the miners to work on a co-operative basis, but their leaders had turned down the offer. He did not know exactly what the questioners wanted, but he did know that the country at times needed coal and had to send to Australia for it. Mr. McMahon proposed, and Mr. A. Sutherland seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to the speaker and confidence in the Reform Government, which was carried.