NIGHT BARS AT TROTS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30288, 14 November 1963, Page 28

NIGHT BARS AT TROTS

Suggestion By Candidate

Permits should be given for bars at night trotting meetings, the Labour candidate for Westland (Mr P. Blanchfleld). told an election meeting at Dobson. A great evil, he said, was the rampant drinking in motor-can and secluded places at the back of the lighted areas. The police could check licensed bars and see that the use of alcohol was not abused as happened under the present unsatisfactory set-up. Mr Blanchfleld said that more prizes should be given to the ticket buyers in the Golden Kiwi lottery, on a similar basis to lotteries in Australia. An alternative, would be to charge 4e 6d a ticket instead of ss. The West Coast, said Mr Blanchfleld, was not an Oliver Twist clamouring for more porridge.

(Mi ver Twist did not have the chanc< to do anything for his country. But the Coast had fed coal, timber, gold and farm produce into the national economic grid for 80 years. It would still do so in the future. All that was expected, he said, was a just share of the national income in the form of industrial aid, electricity, better roads and bridges. Mr Blanchfleld said that anyone, other than “spivs and exploiters.” who valued prosperity and security and who voted against a Labour Government. was “not right in the head.” Country People Back-block areas would receive a "better spin” under Labour. They would, for instance, get more amenities. Today, the country people were denied the privileges of the city dwellers. Mr Blanchfleld said a look would have to be taken at country petrol prices to see that a universal petrol price prevailed as was the case with postage, radio licence fees, and the price of butter. “If these country people are not better looked after, the Government can expect an influx into the bright lights and soft life of the cities," said Mr Blanchfleld. New Zealand, he said, would be all the poorer for the loss of this valuable man and woman power in the country. Labour's policy when returned to power would be to give farmers bigger incentive® to get that “little extra” from their farms. Marginal land boards would have more money ,to lend, interest would be reduced and appraisers of land would come from farmers with local experience.

Housing On the question of housing. Mr Blanchfleld said that If National was returned this month, it was a certainty that State Advances would be charging 5| per cent for their loans. The increase, he said, did not sound much. But for the home-owner on a 30-year-loan, it would “cost plenty.” Labour, said Mr Blanchfleld, believed in interest of 3 per cent for homebuilders. This rate meant a saving of interest of more than £lOOO on a £2500 loan, if the rate paid was 5 per cent

Labour believed, said- Mr Blanchfleld, that Taxation relief should go to the smaller salaried persons. They need it more than those people on bigger salaries.