ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 259, 1 November 1928, Page 11

ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

MR. HOLLAND CHEERED.

TOWN HALL CROWDED.

LABOUR'S IDEALS EXPLAINED.

SCATHING ATTACK ON REFORM,

Chcrr upon cheer greeted the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. H. E. Holland) wh«n he entered the Town Hall last night, followed by Labour candidates who arc contesting Auckland seats. The warmth and enthusiasm of the reception was comparable only to that accorded Sir Joseph Ward about a fortnight ago. Half an hour before the Labour Leader's address commenced, the big hall was filled to fire regulation limits and the doors wore closed. A crowd outside listened to the speech per medium of loud speakers on the western side of the building. Mr. Holland, who spoke with extraordinary rapidity, held the attention of the vast audience for two hours covering tho whole range of topical questions.

Miss Holland, who is accompanying her father on his New Zealand tour, in a secretarial capacity, was presented with a bouquet by Master Roy Robertson. Tho lad was rewarded with a kiss. Mrs. J. A. Lee, wife of the sitting member for Auckland East, also gave Miss Holland a bouquet. Mr. Baildon Objects.

Tho Mayor (Mr. Geo. Baildon) introduced the Labour Leader. In doing so he mentioned the name of the Prime Minister, which was the signal for a burst of boohs. "I don't want any of that!" said Mr. Baildon. "I have taken the chair at all three meetings of party leaders. If you don't like listening you can go out. There are plenty outside who would like to be in. I have never yet had to appeal to an audience to behave itself, and I don't want to have to do it to-night. I ask for Mr. Holland the same fair hearing that has been accorded the other leaders." (Applause.) Mr. Holland, who was greeted with another buret of applause, wasted no time in preliminaries, but got right down to an exposition of the Labour platform. He congratulated Labour supporters on the fact that such a magnificent meeting had been arranged without recourse to the admission by ticket method. Nothing could stand in the way of the Labour party if the people gave a mandate at the poll to carry the policy into effect. Mr. Holland believed that that mandate would be given. (Applause). One of the first acts of Labour would be to introduce a land bill, making provision for closer settlement by opening up large estates. There would be a more steeply graduated tax on large estates. Such of the larger estates as were required for subdivision would be purchased, by negotiation where possible. When these estates could not be purchased by negotiation, the party would not hesitate to put into effect the compulsory clauses of the existing legislation. (Applause.) ""Mr. Holland, who followed the line of addresses given in the south, gave a synopsis of the Labour programme, passing rapidly from item to item. The party proposed to legislate for the basic wage and invalidity pensions. Pensions would be increased. There would be an increase in family allowances, thereby helping to honour the promise which Mr. Coates made in 1925 and had since dishonoured. (Applause.) There would be free schools books and requisites for school children. Samoan Affairs,

"We propose to abolish that somewhat ridiculous system, known as boy conscription, which is not fair to the boy, not always fair to the employer, and not even efficient as a means of defence," declared Mr. Holland, amid applause. In a passing reference to Sanioan affairs, the speaker said Labour would restore the foundation principles of British jurisprudence to Samoa, and would give to every man, white or brown, the same right of fair trial which New Zealanders would demand for pakeha or Maori. Banishment and deportation orders made without first holding a trial would be recalled. (Applause.) Mr. Holland said he was satisfied Colonel Allen, the present Administrator, was proving an infinitely better and saner Administrator than General Richardson could ever have hoped to be. He was certainly trying to meet the Samoans on the basis of reason and toleration, but the harm had been done, and there wae no hope of getting the Samoans to recognise the Dominion's administration until the reproach and injustice rendered them hid been removed entirely. The marketing of copra would be protected by nationalisation on a system similar to that in operation in Eastern Samoa under the United States flag. Having reviewed the whole policy, Mr. Holland turned his attention to the United party.

'She real test of a man's political position could be judged only by what he did when the division bells rang on a fundamental question. If one studied the division lists of the past three sessions one discovered that the Liberal* had up till the fourth division of the 1028 session (the speaker had not had time to analyse the position after that) voted with the Coates Government in 24 of the 70 divisions. On 42 divisions the Liberals voted 50-50 with Reform and Labour, and on three ocasions when the bells Tang they absented themselves from the House, in order that they might not have to vote. (Laughter.) Mr. Holland spent a good deal of time in tracing the history of the Liberal and National parties, with special reference to Mr. Voitcb. He said Mr. Davy had broken away from Reform and a party which was "all head and no tail." Sir Joseph Ward should make a_ statement declaring just how the United party would vote on all no-confidence motions —those moved by Labour, and those moved by Mr. Coates in the event of Labour being returned as the strongest party. No one regretted the indisposition of Sir Joseph more than the speaker, who respected the United Leader as an opponent. However, Sir Joseph should make it clear to the country just where his party stood, and whether he was determined to put Coates out of office at the first opportunity. . A murmur of pleasurable anticipation ran through the hall when Mr. Holland began to attack the Reform Government. It had bcon in office for sixteen yeara. A Voice: Too long! Mr. Holland: Yes, sixteen years too lonrr! A Belated Discovery. The l!,.form party had only now discovered that there were farmers in need of monev, and after sixteen years ol nffica tb*V promised to keep th*in»*tar of

assistance "steadily in view" ;f • <£!♦£«« y r °° m for ex M? fV™ «7 advocated a system of small tem MttlMßnt. Mr. McLeod £/££

A Voice: Neither of them! Mr. Holland: Neither of them, a 8 the mterjector says. Dealing with thTiSS term S dUring the Government? term of office more than three transfers CVery in an 7 fowl ' eVCn includ i"g the city Reform's Sins.

After dealing with the dairy control question, now familiar to most people JSi S a !? d r i,fi « atod " that concern called the New Zealand Welfare League,' which was the mouthpiece of tne big financial institutions, being run by three men who published anonymous SS ft m ? rder t0 Create the impression wiat the views expressed a section of public opinion. Mr. Holland charged the Government with having contributed to tne rise in the rate of interest on advances by reducing the amount of interest bearing deposits in the Post Office Savuigs Bank, and by raising one-half per cent the rate on State Advances. The last-mentioned move was made almost immediately after the 1926 general election. Upon that followed dearer money generally, and restricted State advances. Of course," said Mr. Holland, "you always get what you vote for!" (Applause.) The speaker showed how a handful of wealthy farmers were relieved °* Paying taxes on wealth produced from S^Jf nd# Bi S land own ers making from £5000 to £50,000 per year paid not one penny income tax, though they did pay land tax. Labour, however, would compel those wealthy farmers to contribute their fair share of taxation. If Labour Governed.

If Labour came into power, the Civil Service would be restored to the 1920 status. Mr. Coates would not give this assurance, but the Labour party promised it. (Applause.) A good many tears were shed over returned soldiers on the platform, said Mr. Holland, but the way to give practical effect to that sympathy was to legislate. The Government had no policy to meet the many cases of hardship. But Reform turned to the R.S.A. and said, "Find us a policy." Men who could no longer earn money by reason of war disabilities should be provided for. The legislation should be written afresh. (Applause.) However, as the war receded further and further into the past, bo more and more red tape wound itself around the soldier pensions scheme, and it became more and more difficult for men in unfortunate circumstances to obtain relief. "Work for Everyone."

The unemployment problem in New Zealand to-day was without precedent in the country's history, yet Mr. Coates said the Government could not find work for everyone. Mr. Holland said the Government ought to so write the laws that every man fit and willing to work should have employment to go to. No man could support a wife and family on 12/ a day. The Prime Minister's excuse for not paying full rates was that men on all other classes of work would rush to the lelief works. (Ironical laughter.) Indeed, Mr. Coates even went so far as to suggest that Australia's .unemployed would come flooding across the Tasman—though he did not say whence these poor Australians would get their fares. The real solution was to put in hand works of a necessary and economic character, on full rates of pay, which would keep the commercial market from depreciation. On the licensing question, Mr. Holland charged that. Mr. Coates had made promises to both "wets" and "drys," and, being unable to give effect to both of them, he brought in a Licensing Amendment Bill to fool both parties. It was never intended to pass, because 100,000 ballot papers with three issues on them were already printed, and the bill proposed a two-issue paper. Mr. Holland thanked the audience for "the magnificent reception," and told his hearers that there were but two parties—Labour and Reform—worth considering on November 14. A vote of thanks to Mr. Holland, and of renewed confidence in the Labour party, was carried with cheers and acclamation.