SENTIMENTS OF SEDDON

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22435, 23 June 1938, Page 16

SENTIMENTS OF SEDDON

IDEALS OF LABOUR PARTY TO DAY MR FRASER’S ADDRESS AT DUNEDIN CRITICISM OF OPPOSITION CIRCULAR (TRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) DUNEDIN, June 22. The Minister for Education (the Hon. P. Fraser) was given an ovation, wunded off by three cheers, before leginning his address in the Town Sail to-night. The hall was filled by i large audience. Mr J. W. Munro, W.P., presided, in place of the Mayor, Ur A. H. Allan, who was absent hrough Indisposition. Mr Fraser said he was pleased to be »ble to say that Dr. D. G. W.P. (Dunedin West) was inaking a Splendid recovery from his recent illaess. There appeared to be some loubt whether he would contest his feat , the coming election, Mr Fraser laid. “Now that he is so quickly regaining his health, I assure you that fcere is not the slightest doubt on that point.” (Applause.) Mr Fraser quoted' from the last nanifesto made before his death by Richard John Seddon, which, he' said, was the exact parallel of the aim of Labour to-day. “I believe that the ;ardinal aim of the Government is to provide the conditions which will reduce want and permit the very largest possible number of. its people to be healthy, happy, human beings,” he Quoted. “Life, health, intelligence, end morals of the nation count for more than-, riches, and I would rather have this country free from want and squalor and unemployed than the home of the multi-millionaire."

"These were Seddon’s sentiments in 1806, and they are the sentiments in 1938 of Michael Joseph Savage,” Mr Fraser continued. “They are the sentiments, principles, and ideals of the Labour Party and the Government of this country.” The issues of the forthcoming General Election were very clear, he said, but every effort was being made to cloud those issues. Labour had quite a number of opponents attacking it from different angles. Attitude of the Press “I am not going to refer at length to our friends, the press,” he said, “because I am sure you in Dunedin have the most impartial press in the Dominion. (Laughter.) It does not misrepresent, it does not paint letters from anonymous correspondents, many of them dealing with all sorts of private business, and the characters of public men. Labour expects\animosity and hostility from the press, because the newspapers are owned by the opponents of Labour, who believe that Labour’s policy of the equitable distribution of wealth among the people is inimical to their own private interests. “I used to think there'was a limit to unfairness,” he said, before quoting from an article in the ‘.‘StarSun,” Christchurch. "The press must not cloud main Issues with irrelevancies disguised as impartiality.” That •was an extraordinary statement, he considered. The Labour Party was not alone in being treated in this fashion. Mr Fraser quoted “The Press,” Christchurch, particularly in discussing newspaper criticism of John Ballance. of whom “The Press” con- • sidered; “Never having been a leading man in any sense of the term, it is unnecessary to devote a , leading * article to him on the subject of his disappearance into the political wastepaoer basket.” What had been said about John Ballance was said also of Sir George Grey, and of Richard John Seddon, and of Sir Joseph Ward. "We know the same sort of thing is going on today,” said Mr Fraser. He sooke of “the famous black pamphlet,” which slandered the private affairs of. Sir Joseph Ward. “The same sort of thing is going on to-dav.” Mr Fraser said. “Pamphlets are being issued anonymously, and distributed by various means. They are attacking members of the Government.. . They are scurrilous things. Mr Hamilton has expressed his ideals of what political controversy should be. They were very high ideals. We cordially agree with them. . .Mr, Forbes has said that he will not be one to take part in any dirt or personalities, and that he could say. too, that members of the National Party would leave those things alone, and stick to politics. The National Party “Those are excellent sentiments, and 1 know Mr Forbes well enough to believe that he will keep to that statement.” Mr Fraser said. “Yet how do they compare with the official circular . sent out by the National Party headquarters. a statement which has not yet been repudiated by the party, or by Mr Hamilton as its leader. National speakers and candidates were instructed to oppose all arguments of their opponents, no matter, whether it was right or wrong, and to do everything possible to show that their opponents Were‘fools, despots, opportunists, and traitors to their class, their country, or their Empire. That contains no ethical or spiritual values. It reflects rather the ethics of a political gangster and racketeer. Mr Forbes has said he will. use no dirt. I don’t believe he will; but the party to which he belongs. and to which Mr Hamilton belongs. is bringing out documents that would shame the most reckless and most unscrupulous American political gangster, or racketeer. "The Labour Party will not copy that sort of thing.” the Minister continued. “1 could not sav about Mr Hamilton. Mr Forbes, or Mr Coates. • whatever I might say about the disasters their previous policy had brought to New Zea land, that they were fools. I could not and would not say that they were political hypocrites, opportunists, and all the rest of the rubbish. “On a recent Saturday the National Party held a profession at Wellington There was at least one piper.” Mr Fraser. said, “and the National Party must certainly be given credit for addins to the gaiety of nations, with its garden parties, balls, free lunches, etc.' One banner read. ‘God of bur fathers give to- our country right judgment in time of crisis.’ To that the Labour Party said ‘Amen.’ because an exece ll ent sentiment. Another niacard read: ‘Britons never will be slaves.’ and against that unimpeachable sentiment T have nothing say: ■ but I will show later the condition of economic slavery to which this country ,was brought before 1935.” Sentiments of the People The Nationalist Party, Mr Fraser said, misconstrued the political sentiments of the people. It said that Labour was swift Into power, without thought by * the electors; but he believed that they voted after weighing Wu the issues for and against, and decided against the National Party’s policy of despair. To-day the Nationalists thought that it was very hard to make enough -noise, and with the belp of the press it would create a sort of mob psychology; but it reckoned without the mob. • ~“One of the issues being raised by Mr Hamilton and other National candidates,” the Minister con-

tinued, “is the issue of freedom; but it depends what they mean by freedom. There was not much freedom when the party Was last in power, and there will be none if it gets back. There can be no freedom without economic security. If the National Party’s attempt at stampeding the electors with the catch-cry of freedom succeeds at the next election, 'then New Zealand will stand on the scaffold, and say in the words of Carlyle: ‘Oh, liberty. What crimes are committed in thy name.’ “Our opponents say that in two years and a half of the Labour Government’s administration, we have not carried out our platform. That comes very nicely from a party as successor to Reform, which promised in 1914 to bring in a health , insurance scheme. All these years have passed, and we did not get it. Our opponents also say that we are a minority party. That is quite true. We did not get a majority at the last election; but if it had been a straightout contest, with out the Democratic Party in the field, we would have got a majority. It is presumptuous to say that all Democrats, all Independents, would have voted against Labour, and the next election will be a straightout issue, and we will get a majority. (Applause.)

“From 1912 to 1928 the Reform Party was in power, and not once did it have a majority, and If the. Reform Party to which Mr Hamilton belonged could stay in office for 16 years, and carry on not very well, incidentally, then the Labour Party can carry on for a brief three years,” Alleged Flight of Capital There had been a great deal of talk recently, Mr Fraser continued, about the great deal of money that had been going out of the country. Indeed, one member of the National Party had gloried in the fact that he had sent some out himself; but the chairman ofthe Christchurch Stock Exchange had refuted that statement, as political propaganda, stating that there was not the slightest doubt that the position had been greatly exaggerated, and that whatever flight had taken place, it was of little moment. That man was honest, and did riot like to see his country’s credit draggec| in the mire. “Now we come to to-day," Mr Fraser continued. “Mr Hamilton said at Harhilton that never in the history of New Zealand has money been splashed about by the- State as it is being splashed about to-day. That is nbt correct. Did not the party that is now the National Party start railways, and then stop them?. The capital value at March 31, 1935, apart from interest, on railways works stopped in 1931 was £5,100.000, and interest on railways not completed was £1,200,000. There was some splashing money there. “Labour can say that what money has been spent has been spent wisely, beneficially, and not spent and left derelict. I ask Mr Hamilton and his party to-night what they object to in the present expenditure of public money.” Mr Fraser said. “We have asked them that repeatedly, and got no answer. We have asked if they object to the restoration of cuts in wages, salaries, arid got no answer. We have-asked them what they would do if they were returned to power? Would they again cut wages and salaries? Mr Hamilton is talking now about- bringing down, costs; How can costs be brought down? We have asked them that; but apparently it is vain to put a straight, question and expect a straight, answer; National Party Policy

“Mr Hamilton replied to a question concerning his policy at a recent meeting by saying; T suppose you would like to know.’ Of course we would all like to know,” Mr Fraser said. “It is necessary for the leader of a party • to know something of what he is talking about. As far as farmers are concerned, the only way in which costs can be brought down is by a reduction in tariffs. Is the National Party in favour of that? Is it in favour of a reduction in the wages and salaries of all ; workers and useful people in the Dominion? ’ The electors want that answered. Or is the National Party in favour of reducing social services? These are the only ways in which costs can be brought down, and if our opponents say they are going to benefit the farming community by bringing down costs, then it is up to them to do so. If thev get the opportunity, I know what they are going to do, and so do you. We ask Mr Hamilton these things, and we want to know. Mr Hamilton had said at Rotorua that the National Party would continue all public works of a sound nature at present in progress. “We want to know what he proposes to do with the workmen from the works he might not think would be continued Would they be sent back on to the unemployed lists?” ' The value of New Zealand agricultural and pastoral products had increased from £59,200,000 in 1935-36 to £88,600,000 in 1936-37, an increase of £29,400,000, or 49 per cent., Mr Fraser said. Other products had increased from £37,800,000 to £47,500,000 by £9,700,000, or 25 per cent. The total had grown from £97,000,000 to £136,100,000, an increase of £39,100,000, or 40 per cent.. The Value of factory output had increased from £79,300,000 to £105,900,000,' an increase of £26,600,000, or ?> per cent. The vajue of factory products had grown fro.n £27,000,000 t £35,000,000, an increase of 29 per cent. The number of employees had increased from 79,000 to 96,000, an increase of 17,000 or 21 per cent.-

Mr Fraser said he could speak in similar fashion of exports, imports, railways passengers, motor- vehicles, building permits, and other departments which all gave the same indication. “A very true guide to the prosperity. of a country is provided by the totalisators’ ■ figures,” he added. “I don’t say that this is the most advisable means of spending money, but there is the fact that totalisators’ figures have gone up from £4,500,000 to £7,000,000. My only comment is that these figures show that the people had the money to spend.” The Minister was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.