WAIRARAPA SEAT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 September 1943, Page 3

WAIRARAPA SEAT

<> LABOUR CANDIDATE SPEAKS AT CARTERTON GOVERNMENT’S LEGISLATION DEFENDED. VOTE OF THANKS & CONFIDENCE (“Times-Age” Special.) Despite adverse weather conditions there was an excellent attendance at the King’s Theatre, Carterton, last night when the Labour candidate for the Wairarapa seat, Mr Ben Roberts, addressed a public meeting. The Mayor of Carterton, Mr D. L. Taverner, presided. The candidate was enthusiastically received. Mr Roberts stated that he was proud to belong to a Government whose legislation had been continually directed towards improving the lot of all sections of the community and particularly of the less fortunate citizens. The Government’s record in war and in peace, he said, would bear the closest examination and had earned the admiration and gratitude of the whole civilised world. (Applause). Mr Roberts paid a high tribute to the magnificent courage and heroism of New Zealand soldiers, sailors and airmen and reference was made to the splendid efforts of farmers in the field of production, of workers in industry generally and of the women of New Zealand, who had risen to the new demands of a war time economy in a wonderful way. The Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Bill would be applauded by every right thinking person in the community. The Government had introduced the measure in the first place to prevent the exploitation of the returned soldier who had been away fighting to preserve the land of this country. Secondly, the measure was designed to prevent an abnormal rise in land values. If it were right and proper to effect a policy of stabilisation in other phases of national life, surely there could be no objection to the land being acquired where necessary at its productive value in the interests of the returned soldiers, declared Mr Roberts amid applause. Mr Roberts referred at some length to the improvement in farmers’ conditions under the guaranteed price and the farmer would admit today that he was enjoying a measure of stability and security under the Labour Government that he had not previously known. Reference was also made by the candidate to the stabilisation of farmers’ costs and he declared that the Government had met the representatives of farmers’ organisations at all times in a fair and reasonable manner. Referring to Social Security, Mr Roberts said that the Government’s social legislation was a model to other nations. Quotations by statesmen all over the world and from the overseas Press were read in praise of the work of the Labour Government. Mr Roberts said that he was satisfied the electors of the Wairarapa and the electors of New Zealand would give their verdict in support of the Government’s performances as against Tory promises. The issue was clear cut, Labour versus National, and he suggested that the Independents were only in the fight for the purpose of splitting the vote and should be disregarded by all intelligent electors. Mr Roberts was loudly applauded at the conclusion of his address. After answering several questions a resolution of thanks to the candidate for his address and confidence in him as the member for Wairarapa was proposed by Mr F. T. Johns, seconded by Mr W. Hart, and carried unanimously.