MR SAVAGE’S SURVEY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 July 1938, Page 8

MR SAVAGE’S SURVEY

COMPARISON OF PARTY RECORDS SOCIAL SECURITY AND OTHER PROPOSALS VERDICT OF THE ELECTORS NOT FEARED (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Pride in the record of the Government was expressed by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon M. J. Savage, in his contribution to the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives last night. The Prime Minister was warmly applauded by Government members at the beginning and end of his half-hour speech. After reviewing the position of London credits, Mr Savage said the Government was charged with excessive expenditure. However it would be impossible for anyone to say that the security proposals would not benefit New Zealand trade both internal and external. The money would be distributed among people who would spend it as soon as they received it. It would be spent with the small shopkeepers who, only a few years ago. had to close their doors and go on relief work as a result of wage reductions and conservative spending. “The electors have a clear case before them,’-’ said the Prime Minister. “The gentlemen sitting opposite are the same old crowd who once formed the Coalition Government. They were advised by a Royal Commission that 50 per cent of the dairy-farmers were unable to meet their commitments, although they had doubled their production in 10 years, but the gentlemen opposite did nothing in the way of guaranteeing the dairy-farmers’ income.” The previous Government, Mr Savage continued, had destroyed the foundation of trade and industry in the Dominion by reducing wages and pensions. It had destroyed the usefulness of the conciliation and arbitration system, and it had created an army of unemployed, ranging from 51,000 in 1931, to more’than 79,000 in 1933, and 57,000 in 1935. It had scrapped public works, smashed apprenticeship contracts, weakened the education system and destroyed the State Advances Department, substituting for that institution a semi-privately controlled Mortgage Corporation presided over by a managing director of a competitive private lending company. In addition the Coalition Government had discharged hundreds of men from public services and had interfered with the superannuation rights of many of those who were dismissed. It had extended the life of Parliament without consulting the people, ’ thus striking a blow at the foundations of constitutional Government about which the National Party supporters were talking today. “Now let us compare all this with the record of Labour,” Mr Savage continued. “We have instituted a guaranteed price for dairy-farmers and the national marketing of primary products. We have reduced farmers’ mortgages and fixed minimum wages for agricultural workers. We have restored wage rates to the 1931 level and increased wages altogether by more than £33,000,000. '

“We have increased the pensions to the widows and the aged and we have instituted pensions for invalids. State control- of currency and credit has been established, pensions for deserted wives have been instituted and war pensions have been increased and restored, We have re-established the Arbitration Court and we have liberalised the system of family allowances. “The Labour Government has reorganised national defence. The five-year-olds have been readmitted to the schools. Political rights have been granted to civil servants. We have reorganised public works on modern lines and today we are building 3000 workers’ dwellings yearly. Unemployment has been practically abolished and there is a more equitable distribution of wealth. “That is our record,” Mr Savage concluded. “The electors have to make their choice and I am not in any fear of what it will be.” ,