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ELECTION ISSUES

AIMS OF THE LABOUR PARTV ADDRESS BY MR. J. ROBERTSON TAXATION AND MONETARY CONTROL ("Times-Age” Special) The opinion that the fight at this election was between enlightenment on the one hand and prejudice on the other, was expressed by Mr J. Robertson, Labour candidate for the Masterton seat in an address at Eketahuna last night. The Town Hall was fairly well filled by an audience, which, with one or two exceptions, gave the candidate an attentive hearing. At the conclusion of the address a motion thanking Mr Robertson for his address and expressing confidence in the Labour Party was declared carried unanimously. The Mayor, Mr W. Simpson, who presided, said Mr Robertson had always given the Borough excellent service, and at all times had done the best he could in the interests of the electorate. Mr Robertson said he had always regarded it as his duty and privilege to do the best he possibly could for the people he represented in Parliament. They were now on the eve of the most momentous election in the history of

the Dominion. This issue before the electors were quite plain and clear. The National Party was trying to cloud and obscure the position by raising false issues. The Nationalists said it was a fight between Socialism and freedom, but that was an entirely false and fake proposition. The issue of Socialism did not enter into the contest. There had been no Government in power in New Zealand in the last forty years tnat did not have to legislate along what could be called Socialistic lines. There was no doctrine about Labour. It had just faced the facts •“and worked for. the good of the public as a whole. The National Party talked about the people losing their freedom, but what freedom they had lost undei’ the previous Government they had regained during the last three years. The public servants now had the right to express themselves on political questions, a right that had been taken away from them by the National Government. The only issue before the electors was the achievements of the Labour Government and the promises of the National Party. Labour was prepared to be judged on its achievements. It had nothing to fear, and nothing to hide. The people were to be the jury, and if they decided on what Labour had accomplished, and with a full knowledge of the facts, there could be no doubt as to the result. When the Labour Government restored the purchasing power of the people that was real freedom, and not the hypothetical nonsense talked by the Nationalists. There was only one definition of the freedom advocated by the National Party, and that was freedom for the financially and economically strong to exploit the economically weak. The Nationalists raised those false and fake issues to cloud the minds of the people because when it came down to cold facts they had no case to put forward. They did not attack the performances of the Labour Government simply because they could not challenge any of its legislative decisions. BURDEN OF TAXATION.

Those who alleged that Labour had imposed a crushing burden of taxation on the people, should view the position from the point of view of capacity to bear taxation. Judged by that test, the taxation policy of the Labour Government stood out in splendid contrast to that of the National Government. It was true that Labour had increased taxation, but it had also increased the earning power of the people, whose capacity to bear taxation had increased out of all proportion. The National Government had imposed heavy taxation when the people were struggling to pay their way. Labour admitted that there were anomalies in the incidence of taxation, but they had been there when the Government took office. They took a lot of ironing out, but that would be completed when Labour was returned to office for a further term. It was just as necessary to have the finances of the country controlled by the State as it was to have the defence forces of the Dominion under the control of the State. It would be absurd to hand the defence forces over to private enterprise, and the same applied to monetary control. Labour had operated the public credit for the benefit of the people, and for their wellbeing, and not for the profit of bank shareholders. Disaster was always just round the corner as long as monetary control was in the hands of financial monopolies. Prior to Labour taking office only twice did Governments pay their way. Year after year they defaulted, and to hide it they borrowed more. In 12 years they borrowed £54 millions, and in the same period paid over £54 millions in interest. “NOT BORROWED A BEAN” The Labour Government had not borrowed a “bean" and for the first time the country had paid its way. The National Party was asking the electors to go back to the old evil methods of the past of relieving the big man of income tax and piling up indebtedness in London. In 14 years £74 millions had been added to the London indebtedness. Today the amount required to serve the national debt was the lowest it had been since

1916. The National Party said it would destroy the system under which dairy produce was marketed. That meant ' the end of the guaranteed price and marketing schemes. The present system of marketing had secured the best price that had ever been obtained. The dairy farmers were being asked by the “old gang” to throw away all the advantages they had been given by orderly marketing. The farmers under Labour rule had been given a guaranteed price and a guaranteed income in place of the old rules of fluctuations from month to month. A vote for the National Party on election was a vote to destroy the security now enjoyed by the farmer. The National Party said it would not cut wages or pensions, but they also said they would not operate the Social Security Act, which amounted to a direct contradiction. Every vote for the National Party was a vote to cut pensions and salaries. The people who had put money lavishly into the National Party funds would not have done so had not the cutting of wages been involved. PLEDGED TO THE TUNNEL The Labour Party was pledged to carry out tne Rimutaka tunnel project. The National Party was divided on the matter, and it was not included in their policy. Labour had not promised to reduce the sales tax. No such promise was included in the manifesto last election, and if anyone could find such a promise in print, Mr Robertson said he would retire from the contest. If returned, the National Pai D would destroy the universal health insurance scheme. The electors should take an intelligent view of the issues, and consider Labour’s achievements before making their decision on election da^.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAITA19381005.2.71

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 October 1938, Page 7

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,163

ELECTION ISSUES Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 October 1938, Page 7

ELECTION ISSUES Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 October 1938, Page 7

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