Mr. Coates Sees No Room for Pessimism

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 381, 15 June 1928, Page 9

Mr. Coates Sees No Room for Pessimism

REFORM PARTY’S RECORD | DIFFICULT PERIOD PASSED Press Association WELLINGTON. To-day. “I have no hesitation in saying that the outlook for the country is bright, the clouds are dispersing, and there is no room for pessimism,” said the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, in an address here last evening. j The Town Hall was crowded and tlio audience was enthusiastic. Mr. Coates ; said he did net intend his speech to be a policy one in the full sense of the term. The stewardship entrusted to i him, he said, had not been misplaced, i The Government's policy had been very j largely translated into actuality, and ! the ship of state had been brought through troublous seas on an even , keel. i “In my view,” he said, “the basic and fundamental principles of good government (and they are the principles of | the present Government) are the main* ; tenance of law and order, the mainte- ! nance of justice and liberty, the pre- ; servation of property, and the sanctity ;of religious beliefs, provision for free ! education and opportunity for our citi- : zens, and the promotion of the welfare of the whole of the community and. I riot any particular section of it. We j claim that these have directed and guided our aims and administration. Mr. Coates enumerated some of the outstanding principles for which the j Reform Party stood, such as free semi* I lar and compulsory education, free education from the primary schools to the universities, equal opportunity for fill, increased provision of assistance to the aged, and those who phisically were deprived of making a livelihood. The right of every man to own his own home and farm, namely the freehold, progress and forward development of our country, closer settlement where adaptable, a gradual but definite move to dividing land in order that rural population shall be increased, with the object of bringing into exist- ! once a nation of small prosperous land

holders, are pr.nciples for which the Government stands. PASSING THE DEPRESSION

Dealing with finance, Mr. Coates referred to the recent period of depression. The people were definitely and clearly advised of the position existing, and the pitfalls that lay ahead. They were told that the remedy lay ir» united effort, de termination, hard work and increased production. At once the Government recognised that the curtailment in expenditure of national finances became imperative, and took steps accordingly, but without cutting the salaries of public servants or reducing the general Government activities. Such a course was avoided by intelligent and competent management. Local government expenditure was , checked by the introduction of the ; Local Government Loans Board. Government borrowing from overseas was reduced annually from £11.000.000 to £7,000,000, then to £6.000.000. and now to £5,000 000 a year. The deadweight debt has been steadily reduced. Notwithstanding all the stress the Minister of Finance was able to announce a surplus of £130,000 on last year’s working. Taxation per head in New Zealand for 1926-27 was £l2 os 6d, compared with £l4 5s for Australia, of which £9 13s 2d represented Commonwealth taxation and the balance from State Governments. AID FOR INDUSTRIES The industries of the country had all been under very close examination and where the Government was satisfied assistance had been rendered. The main principle observed was that industries in New Zealand must be asked to compete with the outside article and that the total prohibition of imports would not be contemplated. The timber industry and other industries received undoubted benefit by tariffs, and from 70 to 75 per cent, of New Zealand coal was used on New Zealand railways. New Zealand grown timber was now almost exclusively used for State requirements. Due to the Government policy, within the next 15 or 20 years New Zealand’s forests will be one of her great assets. Dealing wit hprimary industry, Mr. Coates said the Government emphasised the value of the organisation of scientific research, by the co-operation of the scientific institutions existing. By these means the Government can definitely say that not only can our exportable products be brought to tha highest standard, but we can claim that, not only will two blades of grass ! be grown where one was grown bej fore, but that grass will be made to grow where none grew before. The Prime Minister dealt with the financial schemes inaugurated by tha Government to aid the farmers, and he referred to the wonderful trade for the financial year ending March 31 last. The exports were £54,962.031* or over £9,250,000 more than the* previous year, W'hile the Imports were £44,419,357, or a decrease of soma £3,750,000; In other words, the balance of trade had improved by over £13,000,000. UNEMPLOYMENT PAY i It had been repeatedly stated that the action of the Government in paying 12s a day to married men and 9s to single men employed on relief works, was an attack on the trade-union rata of wages, and an insidious attempt to reduce wages in this country. “Nothing of the kind,” said Mr. Coates, “and I give the statement an unqualified denial. It is not proposed to remove the present restrictions until i the general position of unemployment , has considerably improved.” One cf the outstanding events of the present year, continued Mr. Coates, was the holding of th«* National Industrial Conference. The Government can claim credit reasonably for having, during its term of office, maintained industrial peace in the communty. The conference recently concluded will have done much in clearing up misunderstandings and bring about a better relationship between Capital and Labour. NO ROOM FOR THIRD PARTY “As you know, a general election ia approaching. You will be asked to choose as between a stable Government on the one hand and the Socialistic Labour forces in the community. who are seeking to gain possession of the reins of Government. If I may say so, in no disrespectful manner, there is no room for third parties. Their only effect can be to strengthen the Labour forces, and their existence cannot be deemed to be in the best interests of the country. I submit our record has been a good one, and clean j one, and that we can face the electors I with a proud record of policy and performance. I conclude by the words used by me in 1925: 'We stand for • stability and safety of the State, and the Empire, for the security of the individual. for toleration and equal opportunity for all. and for order and ; peace in the community.’ ; “My exhortation to you e ! country is: ‘Stick t • the captu.. «• i cers and men who have served vi u faithfully and. brought the ship into the calmers waters of returning pros* J perity.’ ”