"NOT A GUESSER."

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 260, 2 November 1928, Page 10

"NOT A GUESSER."

REFORM IN EDEN.

AE DRESS BY MR. POTTER. DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT. A plain recital of the legislation achieved by the Reform party while in office was given last evening by Mr. V. H. Potter, M.P., at the Presbyterian Hall, Balmoral Road, a small building which proved quite inadequate to seat the number of electors who put in an appearance. Referring to the heavy national debt, Mr. Potter said that £82,000,000 was. due to the war, and of the remainder a large amount was loan money, now revenue producing. He claimed that immigration had nothing to do with unemployment, as New Zealand's loss in the war had been barely made up since. He eaid that New Zealand was in a thoroughly sound financial position. A Voice: And yet there are soup kitchens. Mr. Potter read figures to show the value of New Zealand's primary products, and laid that they were a true indication of the Dominion's stability. Mr. Potter lightly referred to the United party, and criticised the proposal by Sir Joseph Ward to borrow seventy millions, spread over a period of years. He condemned the Labour party's platform, and said that Labour at the moment waa on the soft pedal. A Voice: You are a guesser. Mr. Potter: I am not a guesser. The Voice: You are a political guesser. Mr. Potter: Well, back me for the next election. (Laughter.) A questioner wanted to know whether he was in favour of buyers of sections at Orakei Garden Suburb being assisted by the State Advances Department. Mr. Potter said that the buyers had not asked for assistance, and to a further query he said that the purchase price for the land at Orakei came from the Native Trust Land Fund.

Mr. Totter received a vote of thanks and confidence.