LABOUR'S AIMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 103, 3 May 1930, Page 10

LABOUR'S AIMS.

LEADER IN AUCKLAND. ENTHUSIASM AT NEWMARKET. STATEMENT OF POLICY. RELIEF FOR UNEMPLOYMENT. The Leader of the Parliamentary Labour party, Mr. H. E. Holland, M.P. ; addressed a crowded meeting at the Municipal Hall, Newmaraket, last night, in support of Mr. T. Bloodwortli, the Labour candidate for the Parnell seat. Many people were una'ole to gain admission. Mr. Holland had a flattering reception. His speech, which lasted two hours, was punctuated with frequeut applause. Mr. R. Newport, Deputy Mayor of Newmarket, presided, and on the platform were Messrs. M. J. Savage, W. Nash and P. Eraser, M.P.'s. Mr. Holland said Labour fought on principles, not on personalities. Political pledges had to be carried out, but where no pledge was given and the party's policy was not in question Labour members had absolute freedom of action — more freedom than the members of any other party. There was no dictatorship in the Labour party. He was afraid the same could not be said for the Reform party. He had seen a Reform member disciplined and change his vote. Another Reform member he had known to be told to reconsider his position because he had taken a stand opposed to his party. The Reform party had broken the pledges made to the electors in 1919. If a general election were imminent it wcukl come irrespective of who was returned on May 7. Mr. Jenkins had made a double somersault, which had landed him in political oblivion (Laughter). Land Settlement. Dealing with Mr. Endean, Mr. Holland said he was much amused with tiie statements made by the Reform candidate, especially in regard to group land settlement. The Reform Government ]>ad been in office for 1G years; it had great majorities, and yet it had made no attempt to do anything in regard to the scheme. If the dropping of .ailitary camps meant the dropping of boy conscription it was a Labour party triumph. Touching on the religious question, j Mr. Holland said that Mr. Coates and 14 other Reformers had voted against a Bible in Schools Bill. The Christian Churches were divided on the question. The proper place for religion was the home, the Sunday school and the Church. Mr. Endean had warned the electors against the Labour party candidate on account of a plank in the platform concerning the socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange. There was no such plank in the Labour platform. It was an objective, not a plank, and that objective could only be reached by evolutionary processes. He wished to know whether the anti-Social-ists would desocialise the socialistic institutions at present existing, such as the Railways, Post and Telegraphs, State Advances Department, local governing institutions, the Dairy Control Board, co-operative trading institutions and the like. All of them were stepping stones to the Labour party's objective. (Applause.) The Reform party could not make a case in regard to the South Island Main Trunk line, because they were pledged to its construction. The criticism of recent times was only levelled by Reform to make political capital. Unemployment. "Unemployment is the great outstanding problem we have to face; it is world-wide," said Mr. Holland. New Zealand, with a population _of a little over a milion and a capacity for ten milions, should not have the same difficulties as the older countries. Reform's immigration policy had laid the foundation of unemployment. Thousands of workers were brought into the country and there was no provision made for them on arrival. The Labour party •believed in State-aided immigration, provided standard wages were paid to all and no worker brought out to replace a worker' already in the country. The late Government's remedy was relief works at 9/ and 12/ per day. The real remedy was to provide employment, but only necessary works should be undertaken and standard wages paid. He .rave the United Government credit lor bringing the pay up to 14/ a day but cooperative work had been inaugurated and the wages did not then come up to the ficrnre stated. If Reform got back to power, relief work wages would again be reduced to 9/ and 12/ per day. The Labour Department should be compelled to supply figures weekly, giving details of the unemployed. Labour's Policy. The speaker said secondary industries should be built up. Consideration should be given to the question of raising the school age and lowering the age at which the old age pension would be given. Consideration should also be given in respect to shortening the hours of labour. That was an essential in dealing with the, unemployed _ Overtime should be reduced to a minimum. A board should be set up to find-work for the unemployed and there should be an unemployment insurance scheme. A vigorous roading policy should be put into operation and, men placed on t e land and helped by the State. He advocated co-operative marketing m respect to -primary products. The Samoan question was dealt with at length by the Labour Leader. Shootings, Imprisonments and banishments, he° said, were not conducive to law and order. The ultimate end of the mandate 'was self-government. Every regressive act by the Administration was based on the German proclamation of 1901 A militarv governor should never have" been appointed. The policy should be one of conciliation, instead of cion. Samoans should have the right of fair trial. Mr. Holland was accorded a vote of thanks, which was carried enthusiastically, coupled with a vote of confidence in Mr. Bloodworth, who made a brief speech, prior to Mr. Holland's address.