LABOUR'S AIMS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18347, 2 April 1925, Page 10

LABOUR'S AIMS.

ADDRESS BY MR H. E. HOLLAND.

The Leader of the Labour Party. Mr H. E. Holland, delivered a political address last night in the Caledonian Hall. There was a large attendance, which, however, was not of such an extent as to necessitate the opening of the gallery. Mr liobert Macfarlane, chairman of the North Canterbury Labour Representation Committee, presided. and stated that the title of Mr Holland's address would be "Labour at the 1925 Election."

Mr Holland, who was received with applause, said that his series of meetings was to open the eyes of the people to the great importance of the forthcoming elections. He was one of those who believed that Parliament would run its full course, and that the elections would take place as usual in December. Of course ho might be mistaken in this respect, aiul the elections might be precipitated sooner than was expected. Mr Holland, passing on, said that he had had wonderful meetings all over the Dominion during the last year and had, in fact, had only one antagonistic interjection, and this from a man who was inebriated. At this stage he desired to make an emphatic protest against the manner in which the Press Association had treated him. If one of those meetings had been a "frost" lie ventured to say that the fact would have been telegraphed all over New Zealand by the Press Association. He remembered addressing a meeting in Cliristcliurch some time ago when there were 400 people present, 1 on which occasion it was telegraphed all over the Dominion that the meeting was a failure. On another occasion when Mr Downie Stewart addressed a meeting in Dunedin, in his own constituency, at which 200 people were present, a message was sent out proclaiming that the meeting was a success. He was not finding any fault with the Press of the Dominion in this respect. Individually these papers had treated him quite well, giving him columns of space. The Press Association, he reminded those present, had its headquarters in Wellington, and was allowed certain privileges by the Post and Telegraph Department, and this being the case he objected to those privileges being taken advantage of to broadcast party politics. Every candidate should be . allowe'l a fair deal, whether he stood in the interests of Reform, Liberal or Labour. (Applause.) He wished also to protest against the facilities of the Press Association being used for the purpose of broadcasting sucli filth as the Dennistoun case. The day was coming when the daily papers would have to pay ordinary rates for such messages. It was a deplorable thing for them to use their space for such stuff. Mr Holland, speaking of the prospects of the Labour Party at the forthcoming poll, said that whether it was liked or not the day was coming when Labour would occupy the Treasury benches. (Applause.) After speaking in support of proportional representation, Mr Holland wont on to say that the line of demarcation between the Liberal and Reform Parties was go fine as to be invisible. He quoted figures to show that the Liberals had frequently supported the Reform Party whenever they were threatened by a vote of censure moved by the Labour Party, and had in fact always saved the Reformers on Such occasions. Mr Holland then passed on to the Protocol, which he described as being one of the most important documents ever drawn up. He maintained that it was one of • the really serious attempts made to prevent war, yet the poople of the Dominion had no idea what the Government thought about the matter. As a matter of fact a secret message had been sent to the Imperial Government stating what was supposed to be the opinion of the Dominion, yet the men and- women wero not told what the message was. He considered that the matter should be discussed on the floor of the House.

Mr Wilford, continued the speaker, had the statement that he would, never join with the Labour Party to form a Government. "It goes without saying," commented Mr Holland, "because they know they cannot get us." Mr Wilford, he continued, had gone practically into the Massey camp, and he (Mr Holland) hoped he would stay there. (Laughter and applause.) Going on to speak of the lands question, Mr Holland .said that out of a total of 66,250,000 acres, about 43,500,000 acres were officially described as occupied land. This referred to rural lands apart from town, borough, and city lands, and apart from those who held less than one acre. Abtiut 150,000 holders held the 66,250,000 acres, but more than 60,000 had less than an acre each. An area of 43,500,000 acres was held by 86,139 landholders. Of '.the total population of the Dominion, 700,000 were adults. It would, therefore, be seen that 86,139 landowners constituted a very small proportion of the population. Mr Holland stated that 86,139 rural landholders held 43,500,000 acres. Of this number, 36,000 holders held 23,000,000 acres. The capital value of the Dominion stood at £554,000,000, and the mortgages amounted to £268,000,000, which meant a big interest bill and also that the mortgagor had to meet a higher tax than that paid by way of the land-tax. Mr Holland went on to deal with the housing question. The Labour Party, he claimed, stood for a vigorous housing policy, and it was out to give every young man and woman a chance to marry and live in good houses. It was the opinion of the party, he stated, that the best immigrants who could come into the Dominion were those who came into it by way of the cradle. Yet there was such a shortage of houses to-day that landlords could turn round and refuse to rent a house to a man and his wife who had children. Sufficient houses were required to do away with any such practices being continued and to ensure that immigrants arriving in the Dominion should be' able to find good housing conditions. It was essential that the Government should provide a house in respect of which one day's wages would pay the rent. He knew of working men in Wellington who had to pay as much as £2 10s a week. The Government Statistician showed that there were no fewer than 24,436 overcrowded houses, in conse- | quence of which 170,317 persons were ! affected.

Touching on the question of miners' phthisis, Mr Holland said that the Government was not treating affected miners as they should be treated. For instance, if a miner suffering from the disease left the Dominion to go to Australia to seek means of improving his health, he lost his pension, and in the event of his dying there his widow was unable to get a widow's pension. Mr Holland referred to the modern machine which the Labour Party had been instrumental in getting introduced into use in the mines.

Mr Holland, dealing with the question of pensions, said old-age pensions should lie increased to at least 25s a week. They also wanted to see an increase made in the pensions for the blind. There was any amount of money available for the purpose in the Dominion, and if he were asked to suggest the means of raising such funds lie would refer to the slim of £IOO,OOO set aside in connexion with the Singapore Base, in respect of which he would state that the Labour Party would

never support the proposal of making such a base.

Touching on the matter of medical service, Mr Holland said that the Labour Party wanted to see the nationalisation of the health services of the Dominion. The party's idea was to cut up the country into blocks and have a medical man in charge of each, with capable assistants. Tho present unfortunate epidemic of infantile paralysis had drawn attention to the need of such a service. It would be part of the duties of the medical men to have charge of sanitation in addition to their other duties.

With respeet to the coal-mining of the Dominion, the speaker said that New Zealand was one of the richest coal-bearing districts in the world, and it was estimated by Government geologists that there were 610,000,000 tons of coal proved to be in the ground. Yet in the face of this, huge quantities of coal were every year being imported, and Sir Sam Pay and Sir Vincent Raven,. who had recently visited the Dominion in connexion with the Railway Commission, had advocated that coal should be brought in large quantities all the way from Wales. Mr Holland also drew attention to the spectacle of trains on the West Coast burning Newcastle coal while carrying locally-mined coal down to the waterfront to ships' sides. I-Ie maintained that for the dangerous nature of his work the miner was the worst paid man to be found, and stated that the best way to open the eyes of those newspaper writers who criticised the miners would be to make them work in the bowels of thp earth themselves for a short period. In conclusion, Mr Holland made a strong appeal to the electors to support the Labour Party at the forthcoming elections.

No questions were asked, and on the motion of Mr H. T. Armstrong, M.P., seconded by the Rev. J. K. Archer, who was greeted with cries of "Our future Mayor," the speaker was accorded a vote of . thanks, Mr Holland stating that he looked to the electors to signify their confidence in him when they ' filled in their ballot-papers. The meeting closed with cheers for Labour.