LABOUR CANDIDATE QUESTIONED

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 304, 18 September 1943, Page 8

LABOUR CANDIDATE QUESTIONED

Opinion Of Mrs. Dreaver’s Broadcast Dominion Special Service. HAAVERA September 17 The contention that the National Party was trying to take Labour’s policy xrtis (made by Air. A. H. Langslow, Labour candidate for Patca, in an address at Tawhiwhi last night. Reference to Airs. Dreaver’s broadcast remarks that there were people in Government departments who were sabotaging the war effort and that they would be watched and would find jobs with other employers, was made by a questioner who asked Air. Langslow to explain the statement. He could not speak for Airs. Drcaver, Air. Langslow replied. In Civil Service there were some who would not give the right interpretation to the Regulations laid down, but if anyone thought he was no being treated fairly he should apply to the head of his department, who would see that justice was done. “AVe know there are some who are sabotaging the Government’s effort,” he added. The questioner repeated that he wanted to 'know the speaker’s opinion of Airs. Dreaver’s statement. ff a man had a National point ot view he was entitled to it, but if one employed a man one expected a certain amount of loyally from him, Air. Langslow replied. . “Not to the point of sharing an opinion,” said the questioner. ' Speaking' of benefits to children the candidate said that the Government had built, or rebuilt. 400 schools, provided better facilities and training for teachers, provided dental clinics and a supply ot milk free. Up to 1935. he said, there were many school children who were undernourished but the position had been rectified by the Labour Government. Today there were better schools, better teachers and better children. . _ Replying to National Party criticism or the manpower policy. Air. Langslow said production had risen to a point never anticipated before, though at the peak of the Japanese threat 160,000 men were in the armed forces. The introduction of import restrictions had given secondary industries an impetus, and at the same time encouraged primary production ior use in the manufacture of those secondary products. Unfortunately those industries were centralized, at present and that was a position which would have to be gone into. He instanced the production of war materials and uniforms, articles of which, he pointed out, were being supplied to many Allied countries as well as to two New Zealand divisions overseas. Air. Langslow also referred to building progress, and added : “If all this has been done, how can our manpower position be in chaos?” The Governinent had also built hospitals and military buildings overseas, but with an eye to the future because, after tin war, they could be converted to civilian use. AA’ith so much war, work going on it was obvious that civilian housing could not be carried out to its fullest extent. The farmers were never better ott than under Labour, the candidate continued. The thing that was bothering the farmer was that they were not allowed to indulge in speculation. The Labour Government was the only,one capable ol tackling Ihe problem of an economic reconstruction, and such a move would probablv emanate from New Zealand first after the. war. The rehabilitation question would be dealt with, then industrialization (with attention to secondary industries), and then population.