MR T. H. McCOMBS BUSY

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21533, 24 July 1935, Page 12

MR T. H. McCOMBS BUSY

ADDRESSES TO SEVERAL I

MEETINGS

GOVERNMENT POLICY CLAIMED TO BE DESTRUCTIVE

A fast, comprehensive tour of tho city portion of the electorate last night gave the Labour candidate. Mr T. H. McCombs, the opportunity to address electors at Lyttelton, Sumner, Woolston. Heathcote, Cashmere, and Opawa. At each of these meetings there were large audiences, and at each he was given an enthusiastic hearing.

For each meeting Mr McCombs, making short speeches, dealt with practically the same topics. He emphasised his claim that the policy of the Labour party represented one of construction, while the policy of the Government in recent years at least, had been one of destruction. This policy had cut into every corner of life in New Zealand. The same policy had destroyed the livelihood of many of the workers of the Dominion. In its most acute form it had started witn the cuts in wages. This action had not only robbed workers of some of their wares but at the same time had damaged the market of the business man. "FarnHors Dissatisfied" The Government had boasted about what had been done for the farming community, but the farmers were not satisfied with it. They had expressed their dissatisfaction, at a meeting of the Farmers' Union in Wellington last week The Government had given the farmer a high exchange rate; but the higher rate nut up costs all over tho Dominion. The Labour party believed that the proper thjng to do was to give the farmer a fair share of the land Tho farmer.and money-lender had made a bad bargain when land was purchased at £220 an acre. Labour believed that in the revaluation of the land the farmer and the money lender should share in the loss proportionately. They should both lose in the process according to the original basis of then- bargain, .As it was the farmer had suffered greater loss than the financier. , , „ Mr McCombs also briefly expounded Labour's plans for guaranteed prices for primarv produce. He stated that his opponent, Mr M. K. Lyons, had said that if ther was a unit loss of Id over each of the most important primary products of the Dominion the lo<?<: over all would amount to six millions. But Mr Lyons had not mentioned that the high exchange rate cost the Dominion ten millions last year, [t was a pity that Mr Lyons had not calculated that. Perhaps Mr Lyons did not realise that on his figures the guaranteed prices plan was cheaper in that instance by four million pounds. f I nod Customers There were cheers at more than one of th" meetings when Mr McCombs announced that the Labour party wanted "to put the relief worker back into the position of being a customer of the business man." A decent way of living was denied thousands of New Zealanders, and labour wanted to make sure; that. a:.:ch a state of society was ended. There were also cheers, when, at the meeting in the Opawa Hall, Mr J. K. Archer said: "Mr McCombs is with us as our candidate tonight, but he will be with us as our member to-morrow night."

At Ouawa, Mr McCombs said that last week farmers at a conference in the North Lland had proposed steps for rehabilitation which were very near those proposed by Labour.

Taxation System Not. only the farmers w.re dissatisfied with the Government's policy: businessmen were heing harassed by a system of hidden taxation—by sales tax, customs taxes, and the exchange, rate. These were items in the destructive system of the Government. Also at Opawa, Mr McCombs mentioned that the chairman of the Mortgage corporation was also the chairman and a director of three priva" lending companies. As a director of those companies, it was the duty of that isan to see that interest rates were maintained at a high level: but as the chairman of the corporation, it was his duty to see that interest rate? were kept low. A man with the finest sense of duty could not see where his duty lay in those circumstances. The candidate also spoke of Labour's plans for a health insurance scheme, and quoted the success of the Brttish scheme. He said that Labour planncu also to introduce a national superannuation scheme for the retirement of persons at 60, on a basis such that they could enjoy old age in comfort. At nearly every meeting there was a vote of thanks, and confidence in the candidate, There were approximately 80 ielectors at the Sumner meeting, 50 at 'Heathcote, 30 at Opawa, 50 at Cashmere, and 200 at Woolston. During the night Mr McCombs was assisted by several prominent Labour speakers, i who addressed the gatherings until he arrived. They included Messrs J. K. Archer. E. J. Howard, M.P.. W. Nash. MP., F. Langston". M.P.. P. C Webb. M.P., D. G. Sullivan, M.P., It. Semple, .M.P., and H. T. Armstrong, M.P.

MK K. J. MOLYOAKE TO SEEK RE-ELECTION <fSVX<:tAL TO TUB S-afißS.i NELSON, July 23. Mr K. J. Holyoake, M.P., for Motueka, has announced that he will contest Hie Motueka seat at the general elections.