TWENTY-SEVEN POINTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 September 1938, Page 7

TWENTY-SEVEN POINTS

THE LABOUR PARTY’S ELECTION POLICY Remarkable Range of Promises RIMUTAKA TUNNEL INCLUDED (By Telegraph.- -Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The policy of the Government, which will be expounded by the Prime Minister in the course of a broadcast address from the Wellington Town Hall this evening, is as follows:— (1) Maintenance and extension of control of the financial and banking system until the representatives of the people are the sole authority for the issue of credit and currency. (2) Provision of credit to farmers to the fullest extent at the lowest possible rates of interest. (3) Provision of maximum advances of capital at the lowest rates of interest to town and country dwellers for the erection of their own homes and for suitable houses for workers on farms. (4) Provision of credit for the establishment and extension of secondary industries. (5) Organisation, expansion and. diversification of primary industries to a maximum to supply the needs of New Zealand and overseas markets. (6) Extension of the guaranteed price procedure to provide an income to farmers measured by New Zealand living standards and in acordance with the services rendered by farmers.

PROMOTION OF INDUSTRIES. (7) Establishment, safeguarding and expansion of manufacturing and other secondary industries essential to the development of the Dominion. (8) Continuance of the policy of negotiating bilateral agreements on a reciprocal basis to expand markets for our primary products. (9) Orderly marketing within New Zealand to ensure, reasonable prices to consumers and maintain guaranteed prices to primary producers. (10) Government housing construction to the full extent of the labour and materials available. Extension torural areas for farmers and farm workers and other dwellers in the country. (11) Clearance of slum areas and replacement by modern dwellings. (12) Advances to modernise existing’ dwelling houses. (13) Complete organisation of administration and men to give full effect to the Social Security Act. Co-opera-tion with Friendly Societies to extend their membership and dispensary and other services to the fullest extent consonant with the administration of social security . benefits. Co-operation with chemists to the full for the same purposes. (14) Setting up of a special departbent for the prevention of river erosion, clearance of river beds and tree planting to prevent disastrous floods. Extension of afforestation. Organisation of land, .development, irrigation works and swamp drainage on modern lines. (15) Maximum facilities for the improvement of main highways and special road improvements for backblock areas. RAILWAY WORKS. (16) Completion of existing railway construction work and extension of the Taneatua-Opotiki railway and Rimutaka Tunnel. . (17) Electric supply at a minimum charge for domestic needs in country and town areas. Special facilities for supply at low rates to farmers and manufacturers to reduce production costs.

(18) The fullest investigation of national resources of all kinds —minerals, soils, plants and animals —with a view to their exploitation for the purpose of increasing production and living standards. (19) An equitable settlement of Native claims. Extension of Native land development and better housing and sanitation facilities in Native districts. (20) Improvement and maintenance of wages and conditions in industrial and other employment. 4 (21) Progressive extension of the principle of \ motherhood endowment until every mother -has a sufficient income to mairitain--each child. (22) Extension. and -improvement of health services and facilities, including school medical, nursing and dental services, and milk in schools scheme, and provision of the most efficient maternity attention in all parts of the Dominion. (23) Institution of an industrial hygiene branch' to investigate and combat occupational diseases. / EDUCATIONAL EXTENSION. (24) Fullest educational opportunities from kindergarten to university, with special attention to the needs of the country child. Installation of modern aids to teaching. Raising the school leaving age to 15. Assured finance for the University of New Zealand and constituent colleges and for the Council of Adult Education. (25) Extension of present educational building programme. Improvement of school grounds and amenities, unification and reorganisation of the administrative control of primary and postprimary education. (26) Support of the principles contained in the Covenant of the League of Nations, together with the fullest cooperation with the United Kingdom and other members of the British Commonwealth. (27) Complete organisation and coordination of Army, Navy and Air Forces to ensure the most effective defence of the Dominion.