THE ELECTION

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24053, 15 September 1943, Page 4

THE ELECTION

CAMPAIGN NOTES Civil Service Politics.—“ There are people in Government departments who are not Labour and who are sabotaging our effort,” said Mrs M. M. Dreaver (Labour. Waitemata). “They cannot, always be civil to the public. When they axe engaged, we know" nothing of their politics, but we know them and are watching them. Where we find this, these people will find a job with some other employer.”

Lend-Lease Bargains. “Bargains” made by the Hon. W. Nash under lendlease were brought under fire by the National candidate for Marlborough; Mr T. P. Shand. He quoted a number of instances of arrangements made, one of which was the supply of New Zealand butter to the Americans at a price he understood was between Is 3d and Is 4d per lb—the exact figure had never been divulged, and was apparently one of the war secrets —■Cvhilq under the same agreement the Americans in turn were supplying butter to England at 2s 8d per lb.

Government for All.—lf we are returned to power all we can promise is honest government for all and privilege for none,” said the Leader of the National Party (Mr S. G. Holland) in an address on Monday. “That is the most that any Government can give, and no Government should give less.” Mr Nash’s Position.—Replying to what he described as misleading statements about his position at Washington, the Hon. W. Nash said he had brought back to New Zealand a folder covering the expenses of the New Zealand Legation in the American capital. The folder had been examined by the Public Accounts Committee of the New Zealand Parliament, comprising practically equal numbers of National and Labour members. The Opposition members expressed themselves as being perfectly satisfied with the position. Looking to Future.—“We need a Government which will look to tomorrow and not back to the day before yesterday or even to 1935,” said Mrs J. A. Lee, organiser of the 'Democratic Soldier Labour Party, in Christchurch last evening., More Fertiliser Used.—Saying that he had 'found the figures hard to believe, the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P, Fraser) told his audience at Christchurch on Monday evening that much more fertiliser was used in New Zealand last year than in 1935. In 1935 it was applied to 2,600,000 acres, and in 1942 to 4,000,000 acres. Remuera Roll.—lt is claimed in Auckland ihat the Remuera electorate has the largest number of voters, with a total of 22,527 on main and supplementary rolls. There were 17,859 on the roll in 1938. The increase is attributed mainly to the development of State housing in the electorate.

Wellington Flats. —“Why on earth didn’t we build some houses and have done with it,” said Mr W. A. Veitch (National, Wellington North) when referring to the big block of Housing Department flats recently opened in Wellington. Mr Veitch said the Minister of Works (the Hon. R. Semple) had told them that the building contained 120 flats and Had cost £200,000. Mr Veitch said that worked out at £133 more than the average cost of the 15,000 houses built by the department. Cost of School Apples.—An allegation that apples from Nelson were being delivered to the Waimate School at 13s a case when they could be obtained next door from a commercial orchard at 6s a case was made by Mr George Barclay (Democratic Soldier Labour, Oamaru). Speaking of the work of the Internal Marketing Division, he said producers’ prices were cut but consumers did not get the benefit.

Investments in Industry.—The in-, crease in investments in industry from £67,000,000 to £87,000,000 was quoted by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) in Christchurch on Monday evening as evidence that the Government had been a stable and sound administration, in' which there Was no lack of confidence.

Double-Barrelled Ned Kelly.—“lf we are as bad as Mr Holland makes out, then President Roosevelt must be a double-barrelled Ned Kelly,” said the Hon. R. Semple in. New Plymouth, when referring to the National , Party criticism of the Government for taking over the Waikato coal mines.

■ Two Sons Defaulters.—The statement that she had .two sons in defaulters’ detention camps, qne aged 38 and the other aged 40, was volunteered by Mrs G. C. S. Stewart (Labour, Wellington West) in an election address at Karori. Her 'statement was made following a reference to Russia and an interjection by a member of the audience “that all the men are* fighting there.” Goods for Goods.—“l think , one of the few good things that will come out of this war is that we will value the wealth we have rather than the wealth recorded in the books of the banks," said Mr H. E. Combs (Labour, Wellington Suburbs). The conditions of overseas trade had changed tremendously since the beginning of the war, and he hoped that after the war exchange would be on the basis of goods for goods.

Minister at Washington.—“l regard this whole set-up as sinister, particularly in view of the proposals known as the Keynes and Morgenthaii plans for international control of monetary policy on a gold basis after the war,” said Mr John Hogan (Independent, Hutt). “People are asking why Mr Nash, so highly rated as our Ambassador to Washington, in spite of the months he has been able to spend in New Zealand while vital discussions oi. war strategy were in progress in America, should insist on contesting a seat in the New Zealand Parliament, thereby disfranchising the electors in that district. My answer is that Mr Nash obviously wants to go to Washington as Minister of Finance, and cannot do so without being elected to the House of Representatives. That is wrong, and must be stopped.” Mr Poison .Challenged.—“l challenge Mr Poison to go to Patea and go aboard any of the boats and stow cheese with a gang there for two hours, and if he does I’ll give him a tenner for any institution here,” said Mr J. Roberts, president of the Labour Party, in an address at Stratford. “These men put 40 tons an hour into those little boats. In England, where they discharge it, they take out only 19 tons, and they reckon it’s good work.”

In Mr Fraser’s Absence.—“ When the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) was absent from New Zealand last year, the coal miners in the Waikato went on strike,” said Mr J. W. Muhro (Labour, Dunedin North). “The De-puty-Prime Minister (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) said some silly things—l told him so myself—and Mr Webb alsd said some silly things about the miners. Fortunately Mr Fraser returned, and the matter was adjusted. If those miners had been imprisoned, I venture to say that not one mine in the Waikato would be working at the present time. More than that, it' is probable that not one mine would be working in the South Island.”

Independent’s Broadcast.—The Hon. W. E. Barnard (Independent, Napier) applied to have one of his meetings broadcast, a privilege given to Mr H. Atmore (Independent, Nelson). Mr Barnard said he had pointed out to the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P.'Fraser) in his first letter that as Speaker of the House of Representatives he did not have the same opportunity of being heard over the air as other members, and in his second letter asked why he could not have the same privilege of broadcasting as Mr Atmore, as both were Independents. The Minister of Broadcasting (the Hon. D. Wilson) suggested that each of the three candidates for Napier should be given a half-hour broadcast from the studio.

Destruction of Vegetables.—Speaking at Hamilton, Mr Charles Croall (Labour, Waikatfl) gave a reason for the destruction of a quantity of vegetables in Auckland and Wellington. .Those vegetables were gathered for troopships approaching New Zealand, which were diverted to Australia by the presence of enemy submarines,, and consequently the vegetables became unfit to put on the market and were destroyed.