PRAISE FOR THE GOVERNMENT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22415, 31 May 1938, Page 10

PRAISE FOR THE GOVERNMENT

COMPARISONS MADE BY MR ATMORE AN INDEPENDENT’S POINT OF VIEW CHANGE IN MONETARY SYSTEM ADVOCATED (PBESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) NELSON, May 30. “The old Government thought largely in terms of finance, and it is to the credit of the present Government that they are thinking and acting in terms of human beings and are spending freely on measures for human betterment,” said Mr H. Atmore, M.P., in a political address this evening. “The previous Government could not find money for making dangerous crossings safe, but this Government has found it. The Minister for Public Works has decreased the death-rate on our highways, notwithstanding that there are 25,000 more motor vehicles on the roads. The more liberal expenditure on education and all social services are steps in the right direction, for the greatness of a nation may .be measured by the care it bestows on its women, its children, and elderly people.” Mr Atmore’s address was made as an independent member and was broadcast with the permission of the Government. He emphasised strongly his views against party strife in Parliament and defended his situation as an independent. “It has been suggested that members of the Labour Party were disloyal and anti-religious,” Mr Atmore said. “I have known the Parliamentarians referred to for many years,, and whilst I know that some are actuated by high religious ideas, I do not know of one member who has shown any antagonism to religion or who harbours any disloyal sentiments. A Biblical definition of true religion is to visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction, and it may not be inopportune to consider some of the legislation of the Nationalist Party and of the present Government in the light of that definition. Compare the large remissions of taxation made by the Nationalist Government to wealthy institutions, with their deadly attacks on the slender incomes of pensioners and others unable to fend for themselves. Programmes Compared “The Savage. Government’s heavy taxation and nationalising legislation may properly be criticised, but its humanitarian measures are more in keeping with the tenets of true religion than were the callous reductions in pensions of the poor, by their predecessors. It is high time party recriminations ceased, and they could well be replaced by higher objectives and nobler aims. There is plenty of scope for honourable competition in evolving plans for the eradication ■ of disease and poverty in this young : country which is so full of promise and rich in potentiality. We have already achieved a world’s record -on a per capita basis in the production of real wealth, and no New Zealander who knows his native land will doubt that our golden age is still before us, for we have only touched the fringe of our possibilities.” Education Policy Mr Atmore was severely critical of the education policy of The last Government. He said: “The Hon. Peter Fraser, Minister for Education, has certainly made commendable progress since taking over this most important portfolio. The Forbes-Coates-Hamil-ton Government had, with a mistaken idea of economy, almost crippled our educational system, and had made it the Cinderella of the Public Services. Mr Fraser has secured £1.380,000 for school buildings, has increased the size of the standard class room, increased school committees’ allowances, and opened the primary schools to five years old children; restored grants to kindergartens. Four additional school medical officers, five additional school nurses, and 12 extra district nurses have been appointed, and he has largely increased the number of dental clinic trainees so that to-day there are 140 in training.” Credit was also given to the present Government by Mr Atmore for the new housing policy. He gave a great deal of attention in his address to finance and credit. He declared that the national credit experiment in Alberta had not failed, and claimed that in New_ Zealand many people were .beginning to object to the State borrowing for public works, which meant that the State entered into debt and paid interest for its own credit. Instead of borrowing £5,000,000 for public works, the State could issue that amount against its own credit, which it now pledged to private financiers when it borrowed. Mr Atmore recalled the National Credits and Currency Bill introduced in Parliament in 1934 by the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, now At-torney-General, but then member for Auckland Suburbs, and said that a number of able speakers supporting the bill included the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, the Hon. W. E. Barnard, the Minister for Lands, the Hon. F. Langstone, the Minister for Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, and Mr C. Carr, M.P. Use of Nation’s Credit The Government must go the full distance for the full utilisation of the National Credit, Mr Atmore said. Otherwise, rising costs will cancel out all the advantages. It is to the credit of the Government that they are thinking in terms of human beings and are endeavouring to achieve betterment for all those unable to help themselves, but I am convinced that full betterment cannot be reached within the framework of the present monetary system which was designed, and very skilfully designed, to bring grist to the mills of the financiers, and it cannot be successfully used for the betterment of the people.” Mt Atmore, dealing with the guaranteed price, said that steps must be taken .to put the farmer In a position where he can obtain the necessary labour, and this could only be done bv requisite income. He praised the Government for its decision to work the Onekaka • iron ore deposits. . Mr Atmore addressed a large meeting, and was accorded an excellent hearing throughout. He said he took it as a distinct compliment that he had been asked by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) to deliver this address. Mr J. Leggo, who was chairman of directors of the old Onekaka Iron and Steel Company, moved a hearty vote of thanks for Mr Atmore’s address. He wished the Government every success with its venture at Onekaka as a .State enterprise. , The motion was seconded by Mr S. Kenning, who, as a member of the Nelson Labour Party, said that, though he knew Mr Atmore was not a member of the Labour Party, he felt the country could well do with more

members such as Mr Atmore. He was pleased that no Labour member had been put up for Nelson, for had this been done it would have split the vote at the next election. The motion was carried unanimously with loud applause.