SIR A. HERDMAN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 299, 1 October 1935, Page 3

SIR A. HERDMAN

THE GOVERNMENT INDICTED.

ATTITUDE TO DEMOCRAT PARTY. (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, September 30. A wholehearted indictment of the Government for its record in the last decade was the chief feature of tho speech with which Sir Alexander Herdman opened his campaign for Parnell liefore a crowded and friendly audience at Remuera to-night. After declaring that the Reform Party, of which he had been a member, had ceased to exist, he said its legislation in recent years and since the mesalliance with the Uniteds, had been such as old Reformers would have shuddered to contemplate. To-day there was no Reform or United, but only the National Party. Regarding the Democrats, ho said he was glad the leader was a man of Air Hislop’s calibre. Ho respected Air Hislop, but could not see liis way to join him, because he disagreed with some of his political views, though agreeing with others. Ho preferred to stand free from an alliance with any political organisation, and if lie was returned lie would probably (ind some congenial spirits among tho other Independents. As a member, he would vote to put the Government out of office, and to keep Labour out oi office.

Admitting the difficulties, Air Coates and Air Forbes had had to face and their good intentions, lie said they nevertheless made grave mistakes and created difficulties worse than those they sought to cure. Aloney had been squandered, taxation had been made crushingly heavy, departments had been mismanaged, business had become (stagnant, and confidence had been destroyed. He advocated the repeal of unsettling legislation, so that New Zealand could start work again on veiltested principles. Sir Alexander Herdman attributed the whole train of evils to legislation which shook confidence in mortgage security, culminating in unemployment lie cited the reports of the National Expenditure and Native Affairs Commissions, as showing extravagance and bungling, especially as to swamp drain - age and abandoned railways, lhe public debt from 1925 to 1934 had increased by 455,000,000, and he could see nothing in the Government s policy of practice that gave hope of largelyreduced taxation or of cessation from borrowing. He considered that the high

exchange rate was a grave mistake, and a. breach of the Ottawa agreement, damaging to New Zealand’s market m Britain. Among the possible remedies be considered were to restore confidence by removing the fear of uncertainty about future Government ‘action; to attempt to nn ke new arrangements for o, permanent market in Britain; to reduce the exchange subsidy on produce ns speedily as possible; to classify fanners for assisting suitable cases with cheap loans; to classify the unemployed in the same way; and to overhaul the relief system, reviving local committees. Concluding, Sir Alexander Herdman said: “I have lived a life of seclusion for many years, and I cannot profess to have an up-to-date knowledge of public business. Other men have that knowledge and experience. They are better able to help than I am. To them I appeal to step forward and help the Dominion hack to prosperity and security.” A vote of confidence was carried with n few dissentients.