THE ELECTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 250, 22 October 1935, Page 13

THE ELECTIONS.

GOVERNMENT'S WORK. OUTLINE BY MR. COATES. SUCCESSFUL FOUR-YEAR PLAN (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) MASTERTON, Monday. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Coates, addressed a crowded meeting in the biggest available liall to-night. There was at times a fair amount of interjection and noisy interruption, but it came from a small minority.

Dealing with the problems of the past four years Mr. Coates said the plan and method adopted by the Government were not hasty or ill-conceived, but were clearcut and defined. As a result of the operation of the Government's plan they were now regaining budgetary equilibrium. He went on to a defence of the Government's policy in relief of unemployment and helping the farmers by increased exchange.

He knew nothing of the politics of the "brains trust," as the Government's financial experts had been called, and questioned the decorum of Mr. Hislop in accusing them of being Socialists. They were men who had given time and ability ungrudgingly, and often had worked the whole clock round in eliminating weaknesses that otherwise might have entered into the Government's pro-

posals. Mr. Coates said the Government's four-year plan had worked out to the satisfaction and credit of the country. Sacrifices had been made by all classes and conditions were now improving. It had been said that the Rural Mortgagors' Final adjustment Act involved the 'breaking of contracts: that might be so, but he held that in times of stress the people and the country must come first. They would not let human beings suffer to the point where they became depressed and lost hope in the future. The Government, said Mr. Coates, just asked for fair consideration, taking account of the manner in which the difficulties of the country had been dealt with and its programme of a steady forward movement in the development of the country.