THE WAY TO VOTE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 167, 18 July 1938, Page 6

THE WAY TO VOTE.

I 'had the pleasure of hearing thg member for Manukau with regard to Labour policy with a view to obtaining the true value of proposed Labour legislation. and. above all. to arrive at a fair decision of whether the present Government was worthy of return to power. I write this "letter, briefly outlining iny findings, in the hope that it may help others to gain that knowledge which, until previously, I liad been unable to obtain. Mr. Arthur Osborne was generally illustrating the benefits of Labour policy, and I asked him the single question, whether in view of the fact that the New Zealand farmers were the backbone of thia country and the value of their exported produce represented more than 95 per cent of our revenue from exports, the Labour Government would be able to subsidise them in -the event of the return of slump conditions. I had heard that a monetary system was capable of being evolved which would enable this subsidy to be made. Could I rely upon the party to give assurance of this relief, and could he elucidate the plan and principle of the system? Mr. Osborne in reply said that it could be done by borrowing the required subsidy from the national credit, but he could not say how, and he could only "believe" that the party could or would effect this wonderful stabilising arrangement when it became necessary. As I regard this as the crux of the whole situation with regard to the national welfare, this reply seems highly inadequate. If the system I refer to is feasible, it should be outlined to the public, and in the event of acceptance should receive unanimous support—if rejected, the members of the party should have to find another method of earning good salaries other than that they have at present. LUCIEN" BLACKBURN.