“LEVELLING DOWN”

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

“LEVELLING DOWN”

MR. DONALD CRITICISES LABOUR APPEAL FOR UNITEDS “If the Labour Party projects were ! carried out we would get State Con- j trol everywhere and an official-ridden 1 country. Everybody would he levelled \ down and the race would go to the | slowest and not to the swiftest.” This was the dismal picture painted j by Mr. Alan Donald during his address ] to St. Heliers electors last evening, when criticising the Labour Party policy. Mr. G. Cole was in the chair and Messrs. G. C. Munns, M.P. for Roskill, and A. J. Murdoch, M.P. for Marsden, were on the platform. Pleading for a chance for the United Party to carry out the remainder of its policy, Mr. Donald said the electors of Parnell had it in their hands to stabilise the Government. “The election fight has now begun and I have the greatest pleasure in stating that the advantage lies with the United Party,” he said. The siege gun had been turned upon the party that morning in the shape of a lead r :n the morning paper, but it turned out that it was not a shell that had been fired, but a maroon. Though t%e paper had said that the United Party was met in no factious spirit when it took office, the Reform ’arty had stonewalled for three days tnd nights when the land taxation ’.mendment was before the House. To irotect the wealthy landowners, who visited to avoid the tax, the Reform 3 arty strove by physical exhaustion ather than by debate to tire out the government. What was that but a aetious spirit? Mr. Donald criticised point by point speech delivered by Mr. Endean, the fteform candidate. Had the United Party not taken over the Treasury benches from Reform the country would have been in a similar position today as Australia. There had been no extravagant borrowing by the Uuiteds, and there was no intention of doing so. The first instalment of Sir Joseph Ward’s £70,000,000 had been borrowed at a lower rate of interest than money had been borrowed for many years. Though the Reform candidate had argued that the administration of the railways should be changed, the solution of the trouble did not lie in that direction, but in a recognition of the fact that motor transport had come to stay. The short-distance business was a win for the bus services. It was only on long distances that the railways could be expected to pay. That was the reason why the Government was finishing the South Island Main Trunk and other railways. “Mr. Bloodworth has done a lot of blowing of his own trumpet, pointing out that he is the only one of the three candidates with experience and that he is already practically a member in one way. Now, I do not profess to be a politician. I stand here as a man who believes firmly in the policy and work of the United Party.” Mr. Bloodworth had misrepresented the speaker by stating that he had referred to the unemployed as being few in number. As a matter of fact, it was the unemployable the speaker referred to. It would be a cruel and unjust thing to say what he was accused of saying. Mr. G. C. Munns and Mr. A. J. Murdoch also addressed the meeting on behalf of the candidate and appealed for a chance for the United Party to continue it progressive policy. After answering several questions, the candidate was accorded a vote of thanks.

PARNELL ELECTORS

14,019 MAY VOTE The electoral roll for Parnell now contains 14,019 names, being 50 fewer than at the general election of last year, the Registrar of Electors stated this morning. The Act allows six days after the issue of the writ, signed on April 11, for the removal of the names of those who have left the electorate and registered elsewhere, and the final purging has now been completed.