MORE FREEDOM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 192, 16 August 1938, Page 11

MORE FREEDOM.

LABOUR M.P.'S CLAIM. ADDRESS BY MR. G. H. O. WILSON. .Labour's policy was discussed by Mr. G, H. O. Wileon, M.P. for Rangitikei, in an address, to a large audience, composed principally of women, in the Peerless Theatre, St. Helier'e. His address was in support of Mrs. M. M. Dreaver, the Labour candidate for the Remuera seat in the coming election. Mr. Wilson said his only concern with the Labour party wae more freedonj for the mass of the people. Aβ a sheep farmer he had nothing to gain from Labour except higher taxes. Other farmers in his district did not like it when he told them they were not paying ae much ae they should in taxes for the good of the community.

"The National party's contention that the Labour Government is taking away individual freedom is fundamentally unsound, because that criticism ignores the essentials of freedom," said Mr. Wilson. "It ie not enough that a citizen should be free under the law—in particular free to express hie political opinions and vote in" an inviolably secret ballot. These righte are of little use to him unless he has economic security and an income that 'makes him free to do what he wants to do."

The speaker eaid that the Hon. Adam Hamilton claimed that the National party gave an opportunity to youth to makes it way, and wae therefore the party to which youth should belong. Labour had fixed hours of work and wae compelling young people of 21 and. over to accept a minimum wage of £3 16/ a week. In the past under Mr. Hamilton's party there was no compulsion to accept £3 16/, but they could get ae much less as they liked. A,Woman: Yee, that's why they are losing their jobs. Mr. Wilson eaid he would be disappointed to hear that there were many persons out of work in Auckland from this cause, for it wae not eo in his district. Members of the National party did uwt want the mass .of the people to have a low standard of living—they merely eaid that nothing could be done about it. Only a small group of interests in New Zealand stood to gain by the general public's lose—the interests whom the National party's principles were designed to support, added the speaker. He contended that the only people who were burdened with taxation or deprived of liberty by Labour's policy were the few who had too income. On the "other hand, Labour had brought about an increase in real liberty by freeing great numbers of people. A vote of thanks to Mr. Wilson and Mrs. Dreaver and of confidence in the Government was carried by acclamation.