MR LANG'S POLICY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 166, 27 April 1935, Page 6

MR LANG'S POLICY

NEW SOUTH WALES ELECTION.

CASH INSTEAD OF DOLE.

THE SCHOOL-LEAVING AGE

(United Press Association—Copyright)

SYDNEY, April 26.

The leader of the State Opposition (Mr J. T. Lahgj, prefacing a policy speech at Auburn to-night, said that, as many thousands of unemployed would have to depend on the Government for relief for a long time, his party if-returned would replace the existing dole ticket system with a cash payment direct from the Unemployment Fund.

The fund would be supplemented by special taxation, and an effort would be made to increase the payments to unemployed relief workers by 50 per cent. An attempt would be made to shorten the working week in those industries which were not affected by inter-State competition, and influence would be brouglit to bear on the Commonwealth Government to embark on a nation-wide scientific scheme of unemployment insurance. His party would .raise the schoolleaving age from 14 to 16 years, making it a responsibility of the Government fo see that all youths were established in suitable occupations. All attempts to revive immigration would be resisted until work and land were found for Australia's own people. Labour would attack seriously the problem of increasing the home market for primary products. It might even be possible to use milk instead of water for making bread. Labour would break up the large estates which were holding back the country towns. Country centres for slaughtering stock human consumption would be established, which would break the grip of \ested interests on the meat trade. Property and home owners would receive protection from a moratorium which would entirely preclude foreclosure, and measures would be introduced for the writing down of mortgage capital to present-day values. & Mr Lang detailed a list of social services that he intended to provide for widows and the poor. He indicated that he intended, if returned, to legalise betting shops. He proposed also to ask the people by a referendum to decide the fate of the Upper House, or alternatively, whether it should be reformed and made an elective Chamber.