ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LVI, Issue 89, 26 November 1935, Page 7

ELECTION CAMPAIGN

MID-CANTERBURY SEAT.

DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE AT

LAKESIDE

There was a good gathering of electors at Lakeside on Friday evening to listen to the political address given by the Democrat candidate for the Mid-Canterbury seat, Mr W. H. Woods. Mr S. J. Graham presided.

Mr Woods commenced his address by making references to his business and professional career in order to show that he was qualified for the position he sought, and said that he had a long and intimate association with farming and the affairs of the producers. Discussing the statements which had been made relative to the Democrats' attitude on the wheat duties, he said that so far as the party was concerned there- need be no apprehension on the part of wheatgrowers. He, personally, was strongly opposed to any interference with the present scale of duties, for he fully realised the necessity for protection for the wheatgrowers. He had on more than one occasion in the past made representations to the Government in favour of protection for wheatgrowers. Even if the party wanted to have the duties removed, which was most unlikely, he, personally, would always oppose any alteration.

The candidate said that there was need for more security—for the farmer, the business man, and the worker. An undesirable feature of the present situation was its insecurity. A Government had to be judged by the results it achieved, and had to stand or fall by the success or otherwise of its policy. There had been a certain amount of improvement in conditions in New Zealand, partly because of the improvement in prices, partly because of the work of the Government, and partly because this was the eve of an election. Not for many years had there been such an obvious display of money-scattering on an eve of an election. The Government had good intentions, and he admitted that it had been faced with a difficult task. On account of its attitude he could not support the Government and he felt that it had not used the "blank cheque" which it received at last election in the best interests of the community. The Prime Minister told the people that the Government had safely brought the-country through the depression, but he (the speaker) contended that the country had come through in spite of the Government, largely due to the manner in which the people accepted the position, the fortitude in which they had stood up to adversity, and the courageous manner in which they had carried on in the hope of better things in store.

Mr Woods contended that the Government was shirking its job by the creation of innumerable boards and commissions; members of Parliament should do the job for which they were elected.

There was not that decrease in the number of unemployed which the people were justified in expecting. Some of the unemployment was due largely to the great increase in tax-

ation imposed on the whole of the community. This was stifling certain industries and affecting the confidence of investors. He criticised the Government for depending on what was called the "Brains Trust" and allowing itself to be dominated by these men, for enacting legislation of an experimental nature, and for imposing restrictive regulations. It~was not the traditional democratic way of government. The Government was now putting forward plans which had been placed before it previously and had been rejected. This was especially so in regard to unemployment. He also criticised the Unemployment Board for the substantial increase which had taken place in administrative costs of the board, and commented upon the fact that there was a considerable difference in the payments to relief workers made in the cities and those in the rural areas. He characterised the Government's unemployment policy as one of drift and muddle. There ( was a very serious problem in juven[ile unemployment, and the consequences would be all the more serious in the future. Mr Woods expressed the opinion that part, of the unemployment was due to the unfair competition by the State with private enterprise. The candidate condemned the raising of the rate of exchange, which, he said, had helped to bring about trade stagnation and helped to increase the cost of living and gave practically no benefit to the producer. It would be a far better way to give an export subsidy. This would give a direct benefit to the producer and the cost to the country could be exactly ascertained, not like the exchange, for it was not known how much this was costing the country. He believed that even now. the Government, to save its face, would reduce the rate and give instead a small export subsidy, but he pointed out that any reduction in the rate must be done carefully and slowly to prevent repercussions. If the rate became a permanent one it would add £40,000,000 to the national debt and increase all overseas charges. It had already injured New Zealand Jn the eyes of its best customer, Great Britain, and was in ; spirit a breach of the Ottawa Agreej ment. It had been decided upon against the opinion of the Treasury and of the then Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart. Although the speaker approved of the principle in the Mortgage Adjustment Act, he did not favour that in the final Adjustment Act, and especially the machinery of the "stay" order, which meant for the farmer subject to it humiliating control for five years. Very few farmers were willing to come under such control, iand he thought that an extension of the first mortgagors' relief legislation would have met the position. The setting up of the Mortgage Corporation meant the extension of political patronage, the increasing of the burden of taxation. It was also apparently intended to act as receiver for the whole of the State lending departments, all of whom had made severe losses, and the corporation was to be the cloak to hide these losses. At the conclusion of his address he was accorded a vote of thanks, and a similar compliment was paid to the chairman.