PARNELL'S DECISION

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 949, 16 April 1930, Page 9

PARNELL'S DECISION

MAY PLUNGE COUNTRY INTO ELECTION £TR. ALAN DONALD'S PLEA 'rfo decide against the United Party at this by-election in Parnell Is to run the risk of plunging the country into the turmoil and chaos of a general election, with all the ensuing dislocation and loss of business. I ask you to stabilise politics in New Zf aland by returning me as the United Party candidate.”

So said Mr. Alan Donald, at the first public meeting of his campaign in the Parnell electorate, at the 'rudor Theatre, Remuera, last evening. About 600 people turned out to hear the candidate, who wrfs accorded a sympathetic hearing, singularly tree of interjections. Mr. T. U Wells presided, and the Hon. W. A Veiteh. Minister of Labour, was on the platform.

"It is plain to everybody that New Zealand is approaching problems of great moment," said the candidate, who was greeted with applause. “The people of Parnell are in a unique position at the present time. They are being asked for a vote of confidence in the present Government Though the Government did not have an independent majority, it had been responsible for placing on the Statute Book a substantial part of the policy it had pledged itself to enforce. Should the electors of Parnell decide to reject the Government, there would be the danger of a General Election, which would cost the State about £120.000.

Three great handicaps had faced iho present Government. When it came into power there was a deficit ot £500,000 in the national accounts, which had been handed on from the Reform Government. There was also the added difficulty of working under political stress, and finally, in June of last year, the big earthquake on the West Coast had called for remedial measures involving a big sum of money. In spite of these difficulties the United Government had succeeded in carrying out a large porlion of its programme.

“The removal of the 1 per cent, primage duty on certain commodities will, I venture to predict, show that the deficit has been practically wiped off,'’ said the candidate. "If that proves to be true, it will be a great achievement when the difficult conditions of the past 12 months are taken into consideration.” CHAOTIC CONDITION

When the present Government assumed office it found the State Advances Office in a chaotic condition. Applications for loans were'very much behind, and had not been attended to for years, and the arrears were in the vicinity of £3,000,000. In a very short time the arrears were overtaken and one of the first things Sir Joseph Ward had done was to vote £2,000,000 to the State Advances to catch up—and he did catch up. During the past IS months about £6,000,000 had been put through the department for various purposes. Had the Reform Party been in power this would not have been done. In addition, the Government had introduced a. Laud Bill to widen the powers of the Minister of Agriculture,

enabling him to grant loans up to 90 per cent, of the value for stock and improvements.

Continuing, the candidate said that the Government had made provision for the closer settlement and development of land. It was untrue to say that the Wilden Estate had been purchased at an unreasonably high price. The total cost of the whole property would average about £4 7s Cd an acre, including roading and subdivision costs, to each settler, who would thus have every chance to make a success of it. In connection with Crown land, the Land Bill empowered the Minister to borrow up to £5,000,000 for bringing it in and instituting a scheme of mass development. "GROWING MENACE” The candidate referred to "the growing menace to the liberty of New Zealand by the assumption of control by heads of various Govern meat departments of powers they should not have.” There should not bo any meddling with private enterprise. The present position had arisen because of the laxity of control of the Reform Cabinet. UNEMPLOYMENT Referring to unemployment Mr. Donald said it was not a party question and should not be. Stating that there was no immediate relief for unemployment the candidate referred to the fact that although the Labour Party had gone into power in England on the question of unemployment it had not yet cured the evil. In New Zealand the Government had already done good work and evidence was net wanting that the Government’s actions had made a vast difference to the situation. Recognising that temporary measures could afford only temporary relief ihe Government had set up a committee to report on the question, and with the report in hand, legislation that would enable the trouble to be attacked in the right way would be brought down during the coming session. Referring to the £70,000,000 loan Mr. Donald said the loan was to be spread over ten years, and the first instalment had been borrowed at a cheap rate of interest. At the present time it was not advisable to borrow. Answering questions, Mr. Donald said he would support the PaeroaPokeno railway. He would favour free books for children if finance permitted it. He thought the Morningside 1 unnel and the Harbour Bridge were too expensive. WOMEN POLICE FAVOURED He objected to a State bank, favoured the completion of the South Island Main Trunk railway, denied that there had been deportations without trial from Samoa, and favoured women police. WHEAT DUTIES Asked his opinion of the Bible-in-Schools question, Mr. Donald said he thought that the home was the place tc teacli religion. As to the liquor question, he was in favour of a poll being taken every six years. "It would give the trade a chance to make their places more presentable and the General Elections would not be always clouded by. the liquor question,” he said. At the conclusion of his address Mr. Donald answered a number of questions, and a vote of confidence in the candidate and the Government, moved by Mr. D. Donaldson, was carried with only one dissentient voice.