CASE FOR REFORM

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 954, 23 April 1930, Page 8

CASE FOR REFORM

MR. ENDEAN AT PUREWA HUMANITARIAN LEGISLATION Xt> party has shown greater activity in advancing the cause of the people, stated Mr. W. P. Endean, Keform aspirant for the Parnell seat, speaking to a meeting made up mostly of Public Works employees, at Purewa last evening. Mr. J. Costello presided over an attendance of about 80. The candidate was listened to without interruption, and, at the finish, a vote of thanks and confidence was passed almost without opposition. An analysis of political leanihgs in the Dominion, stated Mr. Endean, had shown that not more than one out <>f every three workers in New Zealand voted Labour. Reform was es-* sentially a people’s party, and it concentrated every effort to legislate on a basis of bringing about the greatest good for the greatest number. Reform was not a class party. It bad been in the forefront in intro 'hieing humanitarian legislation; the Plunket Society had received Government support first from a Reform Government; under Reform expenditure on education had been more than doubled; free dental clinics for children had been introduced; the Child Welfare Act. aiming at the reform of child delinquents, had been another humanitarian enactment. Reform had also been responsible for the introduction of family allowances. The names of Ballance and Seddon had been used to support the cause of the opposition; the name of Wil liam Massey could be used with equal force to support the case of Reform. It was under the Massey regime that old-age pensions had been raised and many of the restrictions placed on recipients removed. As a result of legislation introduced by him, too, no less than. £10,000,000 had been spent on housing. No one could ask for more liberal legislation. ASSISTANCE FOR WORKERS Reform had always endeavoured to *ut taxation to a minimum, aiming to make the burden lightest on those least able to pay. Thus, under Reform. the average yearly levy on the working man through indirect taxation on necessities had worked out at somewhere in the vicinity of Is 6d a head. The case of the worker had always had the attention of Reform, and it had been responsible for h big increase in the scope of the Workers’ Compensation Act. Dealing with the United Government, the speaker said that the United Party had made a great cry about what it proposed to do in respect to cutting up large estates, but all it had done was to bring down legislation which was tending to drive capital out of tlte country. Reform had tulvanced group settlement and was prepared to advance 95 per cent, of the purchase price. The Unit-d Party had attained power on a series of specious promises wliidh would not stand analysis. Asked whether he favoured the granting of the £lO9 bonus to members of Parliartiont. the speaker stated that he considered it had been absolutely unjustified. Directors of a company in a position similar to New Zealand members of Parliament at Ihe moment would not have had the » ffrontery to propose an increase. With the exception of the railways. Mr. Endean stated he was opposed to Rtate trading in any form, unless on pn equal basis, taxation included, with private enterprise, in reply to another questioner. “No man, woman or child will ever starve if I am returned,” stated the candidate, in reply to a question whether he favoured the introduction of the dole. The question was a difficult one, and one which the Government would have to face. The danger of the dole was that it encouraged laziness and was degrading. On the motion of Mr. A. K. Dale, seconded by Mr. A. W. Simpson, a resolution expressing thanks and confidence was carried with only two dissentients.