TRUE OPPOSITION”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 504, 6 November 1928, Page 12

TRUE OPPOSITION”

LABOUR’S DEPUTY- . LEADER SPEAKS MR. SAVAGE AT OTAHUHU An audience of about 150 gave an attentive hearing to Mr. M. J. Savage, deputy-leader of the Labour Party, in the public hall, Otahuhu, last evening, when he spoke for over two hours without an interruption. Most of the time was occupied in a criticism of the Government’s operations in connection with the administration of the affairs of the Advances to Settlers Department, and the Advances to Workers Department. Mr. T. Drumm occupied the chair.

In opening his address, Mr. Savage gave a review of the evolution of the parties since the election of 1919, when he was elected, stressing the fact that in 1923 the Reform Government was saved from defeat on a vote of noconfidence by two Liberals and one Independent going to the assistance of the party they were elected to oppose. The result was that the two Liberals had been appointed to the Legislative Council for what might be termed “services rendered.” The members of the new United Party had always been found in the •Government lobbies on vital divisions, and a number of their candidates had stated from the platform that they would vote with the Government, so what right had they in the field? There was only one opponent of the Government in each electorate, and that was the representative of the Labour Party. Instead of increasing the number on the land, there were at present 13,000 fewer people depending on the land than five years ago.

For the 56 years of self-government prior to the Reform Government coming into power the public debt amounted to £84,000,000, and after gaining possession of the benches, on the condenYnation of the extreme borrowing of the Liberal Government, the public debt had reached £251,000,000, which, apart from war debts, showed an increase of £86,000,000, averaging £5,250,000 a year. Since 1925, £23,500,000 had been added to the debt, showing a yearly average of £8,000,000, which would' give Sir Joseph Ward’s proposition a close run. The speaker always maintained that the State Advances Department was one of the most serviceable institutions in the country. In addition to providing houses and farms, it also acted as a serious check on the interest rate. The associated banks were up against the department, and the more money put through the State Advances the more opposition was it to the oanks. Mr. Savage stated that if the Reform Government was returned to power the days of the Advances to Workers and Advances to Settlers Departments would be numbered. In conclusion, the speaker advocated more liberal advances to settlers and workers, and protection of secondary industries. No questions were forthcoming, and a vote of thanks to the speaker, and confidence in the Labour Party, was carried unanimously.