LIBERAL-LABOUR POLICY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 196, 14 May 1924, Page 10

LIBERAL-LABOUR POLICY

MR. WILFORD SPEAKS CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT (BY telegraph.—Press association.) Napier, May 12. Mr. T. M. Wilford. opening the Liberal-Labour political campaign in Waipukurau to-night, said that the party had decided to visit all electorates represented by Reform members. Ho declared that his party did not stand for any class, but he characterised the Reformers as docile servants of the wealthy. Liberals agreed with the remark of Mr. Massey in 1912 that it was a good thing for a Government to feel another coming along to look into the pigeon-holes and see if the administration had been all right, 'lhe time had arrived for a clearing of the stables. .Air. Wilford complained that when the Liberals left the National Government in 1919 the expenditure from the Consolidated Fund was £18,673,599, but three years later it had jumped to £28,466,835. The economies the Prime Minister claimed to have effected were forced on him by the extravagance of the Government. The Advances to Settlers Act was put on the Statute Book by Liberals, but to-day the Reform Party walked it about as if it were their child. From the funds of that Department the Government had collared two million pounds for investment in war loans. This money was taken from those who wanted it and should have been repaid. He had charged the Prime Minister in the House with taking money from the Department. He would like ’to know whether a portion of the recent five million loan for State Advances was to repay this money, or was fresh money. Mr. Massey’s love of the State Advances Department was due to the fact that he saw the Liberals’ proposal for an agricultural bank, the chief point about which was a long-term mortgage and repayment of principal and interest. There would bo no short-term mortgages. They (the Liberals) advocated a State hank to work in conjunction with the agricultural bank. Reference was made to the market for produce in the East, but he said the Government was cold to his proposal. Tlie Government’s soldier settlers’ scheme was carried out in a wasteful way, and now it was necessary to write off millions of pounds and bring the value down to a reasonable figure. In a reference to the Imperial Conference, he said that Mr. Massey on previous occasions had represented the country with dignity, but on the last occasion he kst both his dignity anl temper. Mr. W’l’ord was accorded a vote of thanks and given a sympathetic! hearing.