CHEERS FOR LABOUR.

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

CHEERS FOR LABOUR.

MEETING AT TRADES HALL

MR. PARRY'S CAMPAIGN.

CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT

'■ We are fighting all hands in this contest," declared Mr. W. E. Parry, official Labour candidate for Auckland Central, in opening his campaign in the Trades Hall last evening. The candidate, in his own domain, was given a particularly good hearing, and at the conclusion of his address, which occupied almost two and a-half hours, cheers were given for both him and hie party. A vote of thanks and confidence was passed.

Before generally assailing the Government, Mr. Parry said lie offered no apology for asking the electors to renew their confidence in him. because, during his nine years' term of office, lie had always adhered to the principles he enunciated. He emphatically refuted that he " loved the Reform party," a etatement attributed to him by Mr. A. J. Stallworthy, and explained that in a speech in the North he had merely stated that he had the highest respect for the leaders of both the Reform.and United parties. " That is the statement I made," he added, " and I stand by it to-jiight. If it satisiies Mr. Stallworthy to wrongly point my statement, then I want to say it is not very good tactics. If he is a man he will withdraw hi* remark."

Public Debt Increase. Instancing the decline in the vigorous jviik-y advocated by the Reform party when it assumed oflice in 1911, Mr. Parry said that since then the public debt had increased from £84,000,000 to £2.11,000,000. " That is not a bad apprenticeship," he added, in explaining that last year half the revenue of the country had been devoted to interest and sinking fund. Ho would not take exception to the debt per capita increasing from £78 13/2 in 1911 to £170 9/5 to-day if the Government could point to a corresponding increase in the volume of production, but it could not.

" We are living in a world of falling prices . . . and if prices fall and our production remains constantly as it is, then this country is going to be up against it. Almost half of what we produce goes in overhead charges, and does the Government wish to convey the impression that if that continues it will be able to deal with a drastic fall in

prices \ *'

Mr. Parry maintained that the Reform party was hoodwinking the people of New Zealand by referring to the country's prosperity when hhports exceeded exports, and the external debt had increased by £43,000,000 between 1921 and 1927.

Referring to taxation, lie said that at last election the electors were assured of a lightening of tho burden, but while taxation on the wealthy was reduced, it was increased by 23 per cent as it affected the manses. Criticising Reform's excessive borrowing programme, Sir. Parry said that almost every year we were selling New Zealand to people overseas. The last London loan was commended as evidence of tho Dominion's financial standing because it was subscribed in two hours, but the next day the same bonds were selling at a premium, showing that New Zealand was being sold too cheaply. Bungled Settlement Scheme.

Production, he maintained, was not commensurate with borrowing. While the Prime Minister said he was anxious to keep people on the land, 13,581 persons had abandoned it since 1923. Since 1922 there had also been 3783 forfeitures and surrenders, involving 2,211,000 acres of land. New Zealand was beginning to follow in the footsteps of the old English Tories in driving people elsewhere by aggregation, as half the acreage of the country of 43,000,000 acres was owned by 3100 people. The Minister of Lands had announced that, under present economic conditions, the chances of securing land for settlement were remote, but, asked Mr. Parry, how did thut square with a publication circulated by the Government in Great Britain which said: "There is a large area of land suitably subdivided and loaded always available for selection by intending settlers?" The Government had had an opportunity to do something outstanding for this country in the direction of soldier settlement, but it had failed, and had already lost £5,000,000 through its policy. In holding that the public and the Press had clamoured for land for the settlers, the Government was trying to blame someone else for its own bungling, and presented a sorry spectacle.

Mr. Parry proceeded to trenchantly criticise the Reform party for raising the interest rate by 1£ per cent, and attributed a good deal of the unemployment to the restricted business that resulted from this decision. He advocated the establishment of a State bank, and asked what State institutions the Prime Minister would dispense with when he attacked socialised institutions. It had to be remembered that £54,000,00 wae contributed by socialised institutions in the Dominion to the internal debt. When New Zealand could contribute that large amount to development, .it augured well for the continuation of such institutions m order to eliminate the necessity of running the country into debt externally Discussing unemployment the candidate blamed the Government for creatine an army of 20,000 unemployed by its muddling land and immigration policies After having accomplished that, Mr. Coates stated that £500,000 had been spent in grappling with unemployment, a sum sufficient only to give work to 1500 men for two years. In conclusion the candidate said that owing to decreased purchasing power the actual value of pension increases to the aged since 1911 was 9d., and described Sir Joseph Ward's borrowing scheme as a 'loose and most unbusinesslike proposition." It was nothing short of sheer political humbug put forward for the purpose of misleading the public.