LABOUR’S ACTIVITIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 March 1939, Page 5

LABOUR’S ACTIVITIES

WORK AND POLICY REVIEWED LAST NIGHT

ADDRESS BY MR J. ROBERTSON. IMPORT CONTROL DEFENDED. An interesting review of the activities of the Labour Government and 01 its plans for the future was given bj Mr J. Robertson, M.P., in the Municipal Social Hall last night. The hall was comfortably filled with an audience which gave Mr Robertson an attentive hearing. He was applauded on concluding and was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. 'The Mayor, Mr T Jordan, presided for part of the evening, the chair later being taken by Mr C. E. Grey. In introducing Mr Robertson, Mr Jordan said it was all to the good that the member for the district and his constituents should meet occasionally and exchange experiences. The member might be able to tell them what was going on and what was in prospect. He regretted that there was not a larger attendance, but it might be that a big body of the people were quite content with what was happening “Since Mr Robertson has represented this electorate I have made considerable use of him,” observed Mr Jordan, “and I want to say that he has always done everything promptly, cheerfully and well.’ (Applause). Mr Robertson said the Labour Government was unique as compared with past New Zealand Governments in that it had no daily Press of its own. They hoped to remedy that before very long. He felt that a large section of the daily Press was not interested enough to make clear and expound the policy of the Government. The Press had obscured, and at times unnecessarily al armed,’ the people regarding the’ policy of the Government. They would recall that in spite of a vigorous campaign and considerable misrepresentation at the last General Election the country gave Labour a definite manrin+c. carrv on its policy.

Mr Robertson went on to discuss the question of import control and explained a number of points with regard to New Zealand’s London funds. As the country became more prosperous the London funds would be depleted. It was not necessarily a sign of financial health to have large accumulated London funds as was the case during the depression. In the years prior to the depression the London funds must have been depleted almost to extinction over and over again. From the proceeds of our exports we had to pay interest on our overseas debts and also pay for our imports. In the twelve years prior to 1931, on only two occa-

sions did we manage to pay our way in that respect. In one year we were £23,000,000 to the bad and m another £l2 000,000 on the wrong side. To make up the deficiency we had borrowed huge sums. That, however was not happening with Labour in power. Labour was the first Government to occupy the Treasury Benches in New Zealand that was determined to pay its way. (Applause). ' After dealing further with import restriction and aspects of the Gove rn “ ment’s financial policy Mr Robertson. “We say that in a country like this, which can produce foodstuffs and all the requirements for a man s physical well-being, there is no need for anyone to be poorly clad or starved The importers had offered no workable alternative to the imposition of impoi t restrictions. All they said was that the Government should stop spending money on Public Works. That would have'meant throwing people out of work, a scarcity of money and a consequent drop in the value of our imP °Attacks were still being made throughout the country against the stability of New Zealand. There were many so-called patriots who were good at waving the flag but who were not loath to try. to undermine the stability nnd annd name of their country. There

was no country in the world today which provided a safer form of investment than New Zealand. In some sections there was a spirit of antagonism towards Social Security. Finance capital was not going to have the surplus wealth of the country diverted into a scheme of social service if it could help it. There was a very definite connection between social security and national security. It was the insecurity of the people which led to antagonism and resulted in wars. There could not be world peace until the workers received social justice. Labour’s Social Security proposals were a land mark for the whole of the world. In every English speaking country New Zealand s name was being mentioned. An enormous responsibility rested upon Labour in its efforts to remove the spectre of want that hovered over almost every man in New Zealand and to provide security for all. If that could be done by all the nations war would be a thing of the past New Zealand was pointing the way for the rest of civilisation. There were difficulties in the way but these would be overcome. They wanted a standard of living based on the value of our production. The so-called difficulties in New Zealand were greatly magnified. The country, in fact, was in a very favourable position as compared with many other countries. With a different governmental control, however, New Zealand might easily be led into a depression.