MR. D. K. PRITCHARD AT PETONE

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 138, 9 December 1919, Page 7

MR. D. K. PRITCHARD AT PETONE

Mr. D..X. Pritchard, the official,Lab'-i our candidate, addressed a meeting of Petone electors in the Empire Theatre last evening. Councillor J. L. Churchpusa occupied the ohair, ' The seating accommodation was severely taxed, and tha speaker received an enthusiastic hearing* .first being greeted, with cheers.,!

The candidate said an unfair attempt had been made to blame the Labour Party for the bad hearing received by some of !' the' other . candidates,; but. ha wished, to say that it was his desire that each candidate should, receive-a fair, .iia-. partial, and just hearing. In regard to Mr. Rishwqrth's meeting at Eastbourne, it was history how it had been disturbed, yet there was oriy one member of the Labour Party present. Dealing with.the question of taxation, he submitted that,, though the Liberals had been in pewer for 20 years, yet the Customs revenna was greater than the direct taxation., Land had not been valued for ten years, and the owners were getting the benefit of low values for taxation, while the Customs dues were on present-day values. Mr. Wilford had said a lot about the scandal of the present death duties, y%b Sir Joseph Ward had, when in charge of tha National Government's finance in 1917, raised only 5.40 per cert, of'taxi's from estates valued for probate. at £9,000,000, while Mr. Massey had raised 8-40 per.cent, off £7,000,000 in 1916. State farms, were needed to reduce the price of wheat, which, in spite of tho ' ■ c ■

f.o.b. price being fixed at 6s 9Jd, waa now retailing at 9s Bd. The loans to workers had steadily fallen, and loans "■were being refused to workers to help and solve the heusing problem. In 191-5 the average loan granted was £402; in 1918 the average was only £315. Labour advocated not purchasing the Bank.. of. New Zealand shares at high rates, but selling tbe Bank shares owned by the Government. In regard to the cost of living, he understood Sir Joseph Ward had demanded a free hand in the National Government to reduce tho cost of living, and yet the Liberal candidate was asserting what the Liberals would.do in this direction if returned to power. In regard to . the go-slow policy' alleged against the coal-miners, the speaker mentioned the low pay and bad conditions under which the miner worked The Liberal candidate had not told the truth about the achievements of the Queensland Labour Government, which, besides reducing tho cost of living below that of any State, had made handsome profits on its ventures. Its work had been spoilt,by the interference of the Commonwealth Government. The speaker alleged that a' book _ published by the Government Printer in Queensland had been censored in New Zealand, because it published the facts. The candidate severely criticised Mr. Wilford's attitude in Parliament on the gratuities' question, women police, the want of restrictions for rent charges in' the _ousing*Bill, the right of an appeal to trial by jury-in the case of those prosecuted for creating dis-, tnrbances, the right, to sell the freehold of Native land purchased by the Crown, and the question, of indentured, labour for Samoa, . The Labour Party had;nevi; given'the Liberals any promise of support; as stated by Mr. Wilford. - - , ,--.-;-.- After answering, numerous., questions, tha speaker was accorded a unanimous vote of confidence.,- . ;.'■ _:,-:j_\,