POLITICAL SITTINGS

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LII, Issue 94, 24 November 1931, Page 6

POLITICAL SITTINGS

POINTS FROM SPEECHES.

FARM WORKERS' HOLIDAYS

Irwjell electors on Friday night had the rather rare opportunity of hearing two political speeches by rival candidates the same evening. Mr A. A. McLachlan, Independent Coalitionist, spoke at seven o'clock, and Mr H;. S. S. Kyle, official Coalition candidate, arrived shortly after eight and addressed practically the same audience.

Are you in favour of a Saturday afternoon holiday for rural workers for nine months in the year? Mr McLachlan was asked. The candidate replied that he did not think anyone could take serious objection, but with farmt work, as with other work, people went into it with their eyes open* and as long as the work was congenial, long hours did not hurt. He would not bring in legislation to make the half-holiday compulsory. The questioner persisted with his point, referring to the Old Country, land contended that what could be done in one country couidlae done in another. Mr McLachlan: They don't do it in Scotland, I bet. The questioner: Yes, they do. They had it in Scotland before I left.

Mr McLachlan: They say the place has become a little more hard up in the last few years. "As a matter of fact," said Mr McLachlan, "there is too much of a mouthful made of working long hours, but farmers have to work long hours in order to get anything, and the farm labourers have to work long hours with them. The farm worker must fit in with his boss, and if he is not prepared to do that, he should not be working on a farm. The questioner: The farmer can take a day off whenever he wants to.

Mr McLachlan: Can he? If it was a reasonable proposition and did not upset the process of production, Mr McLachlan said he was agreeable to the half-holiday, but a man working a team could not let the team remain idle. Commenting later on the subject, Mr John Heslop expressed the view that it was quite possible for the farmer to give his men a half-holiday for nine months a year without detriment to his farm. If a-man was worth having, he would see that the work was done by twelve or one ! o'clock on Saturday, and would go off with a clear conscience.

Asked a similar question, Mr Kyle's immediate response was "No, certainly not." He had never known the farmer who would not let his man away to play football or other sport, but if he merely wanted to be a spectator, he would be better working. We had gone far enough in regard to compulsory half-holidays in New Zealand. Personally, he could; find time for sport, though he sometimes worked 18 hours a day. There was nothing wrong with having a voluntary arrangement between the employer and the employee, but there were enough harassing restrictions as it was. He believed in getting off for play after the day's work was done. "Our fathers got no half-holiday, and I got no half-holiday," he added. "We are going too far with sport."

"Mr Wilkinson is the soundest critic on the subject of taxation in tb" House. He is one of the three or four men who have some regard for the taxpayers' burdens and is prepared to make himself unpopular fighting against this ever-growing burden of taxation." This tribute to the member for Egmont was paid by Mr A. A. McLachlan, speaking at, Irwell.

"I believe that, with single men, at all events, it is better to put them on to some of the main highways than to put them on hilltop camps. If Mr Ell happened to go afield many of his walks over the hills would run back to sheep tracks. If Mr Coates sets his

scheme going, the unemployment question will be relieved, and men will be put on the land whereby they can develop it and see some prospecte, and perhaps Be its future owners.! tt is far better to give men something, to do with an insight into the future.—Mr H. S. S. Kyle.

"There is a, school of thought that takes the view that, with a fairly high level of wages, the farmer actually, in the ultimate end, draws the benefit. Wages are never a very big item in the farmer's budget, but if pepole are drawing good wages, those who produce bread and butter and wool do • actually get a certain amount of benefit. But wages can only be paid, and other charges incurred, according to the ability to run them. Don't be led away by imagining that if you can cut wages down to zero you are going to benefit by it. The cut in wages should be followed by a cut hi interest charg.es and also a cut in taxation.—Mr A. A. McLachlan.

"The Labour Party are camouflaging the whole position by attacking the Government. In the 1922 and 1925 campaigns, more than any other time, they were out for a socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange. They are now camouflaging themselves as Liberals. If they were elected to power to-morrow to .cany out their policy it would be the socialisation of everything, So don't get led astray with the camouflage. Treat them as a Socialistic Party. They will tell you the Government is being run and controlled by the banking and rich financial .institutions —AH bosh! We | are a primary producing country and are depending on our primary production. It is no more in the hands of large money lenders than in the [hands of the workers. Let us hope it will never be in the hands of the Labour Party. In England, they have kicked the Socialist Party out," —Mr H. S. S. Kyle.

* # * "I want to tell you that there is no place in Parliament for Independents. Many people out of Parliament imagine that if 80 Independent members were sent to Parliament they would have better Government. The whole British constitution has been buijt up on Party Government. As long as Britain is Britain, and as long as we are one of the British possessions, we will still be governed by Party Government. There is no

continuity of policy otherwise."—-Mr H. S. S. Kyle.

"The United Party was essentially framed on Liberal lines', and although you have learned to regard the Liberal creed as almost a socialistic:one, it was never* meant to be so. That Party meant to re-establish the individual school of thought—the ideal of thrift and optimism and equality of opportunity, but I cannot say for the moment whether it succeeded or failed. But it did at least divert Ja huge vote away from Labour and saved you from a period of Labour rule during the past three years. The defeat of Mr Rolleston, Reform member for Timaru, by the Rev. Clyde Carr, showed that the people, after they have had a certain type of Government, will have a change, whatever that change is."—Mr A. A. McLachlan. . » * * l "Some Labour members will tell you that there is over-production in the world, but if we look at it in that light it will be a sorry plight for each and every individual. The only way of keeping up our trade balance if prices are down is to keep producing."—Mr H, S. S. Kyle. ~

"I believe no matter what Party you represent or what views you entertain, it is the right thing in a democratic aountry that we should get the popular vote. Those who are inclined to see the Labour candidate returned should rally round him and see that he gets his full quota. If you have a good poll, the member returned is satisfied that everybody has used his vote, and he -is there with the vote of the major portion of hjs electorate,"—Mr Kyle at Irwell.