LABOUR AND THE SLUMP

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24882, 23 May 1946, Page 6

LABOUR AND THE SLUMP

Sir,—Mr S. G. Holland’s reply to “T.H.8.” makes interesting reading. Before the 1931 elections in New Zealand, the then member for Christchurch South, Mr E. J. Howard, stated at a largely attended meeting held at Sydenham Park that if the ForbesCoates Government were returned to power it would reduce wages and pensions and dismiss large numbers of Government employees. The editor of a well-known: newspaper at that time, the, “Christchurch Sun," immediately wired the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G;W. Forbes, whose reply was: “The matter has never been considered.” But what,did we find after the 1931 elections? The first thing the Government did was to reduce wages, oldage pensions, war pensions; in fact, all small workers’ incomes were savagely attacked by the same party which Mr Holland represents to-day. We, the workers, know that if the Nationalist Party is ever returned to power, the small wage-earner will again suffer.—Youfrs, etc., D. FAHEY. May 22, 1946. Sir.—Your correspondent “T.H.8.” has received Mr S. G. Holland’s stock reply when faced with the facts of his own making. I, too, have received the same reply when asking him awkward question—“ Just another Labour lie." No doubt the public can and will remember the statements which have been made by him on compulsory unionism and a reduction in the Public Service. The people of this cdUntry have a much better memory than the Leader of the Opposition, who apparently forgets half the stuff that he broadcasts round the country in his vote-catching career.—Yours, etc., CIVIL SERVANT. May 22, 1946.