LABOUR LAWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 292, 10 December 1936, Page 10

LABOUR LAWS.

GOVERNMENT'S WORK.

LEGISLATION TO COME. MR. AXDERTON'S REVIEW.

Complete justification of the Labour | Government's actions during its term of office was claimed by Mr. W. T. Anderton, M.P. for Eden, in the course of an address at the -Methodist Centenary Hall, Dominion Jload, la.st evening. Particular reference was made by the speaker to the public works policy. j Admitting there were 7000 people registered on sustenance who could not do any work at all. Air. Anderton said that eventually those people would he I granted an invalidity pension. The Government had considered it essential f to concentrate on the unemployment problem and twice sustenance rates had been raised. Under the administration of the past Government, said Air. Anderton, the public works policy of the country had been carried out under relief labour and on relief pay. 'The late Government had ■sold to the highest bidder all machinery that was necessary for public works, and when the Labour Government had' attempted to implement a progressive policy it found that it did not have the machinery to do it with. A total sum of £17,500,000 was to be spent on public works and it had to be spent with the greatest care. Already a minimum of 10/ a day had been arranged, with an eight-hour day and a five-day week. "Young men who have never worked before are working magnificently on public works," declared Mr. Anderton. "We are building one of the highest viaducts in the southern hemisphere— 300 feet high. The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, is elated to think that young men who have never worked before are eight months ahead of schedule on that job. They are paidj at the rate of the amount of work they do. As an encouragement for the splendid work they have done, Mr. Semple raised their wages, because their job is ahead of schedule and is thus going to save the Government money." Control of Money. References to the Reserve Bank Amendment Bill was also made by Air. Anderton. "I believe the happiest moment of my life was the night I walked into the lobby to kill private banking," he said. "While the Government, in the meantime, has a large control of the Bank of New Zealand, 1 hope it will not be long before it assumes complete control. It is Labour's intention to utilise the country's credit and currency to eliminate poverty and the booms and slumps which have no rightful place in the Dominion's economic life." Mr. Anderton claimed that provided the Labour Government stepped along as it had done in the past year, it would retain the confidence of the people for the next 20 years. He admitted, however, that the Government had not yet solved all the difficult problems facing it, but if it continued with its proposals over the next 12 months there would be no man or woman unemployed who was willing to work. "It is the desire of the Prime Minister," said Mr. Anderton, "to have the Superannuation Bill and the National Health Bill passed by this time next year. I hope to see old pensions increased to 30/ a week at the ages of 55 for women and 00 for men.. It is also intended by the 'Government to provide the best medical skill absolutely free of cost." Confidence in the member and the Government was expressed in a resolution which was carried unanimously.