NEW ZEALAND WELFARE LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 133, 2 December 1922, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND WELFARE LEAGUE

TO THE ELECTORS OF NEW

ZEALAND

The league desires to point out to you that it is not only the duty but it is to the advantage of every man and woman that they should take an interest in the governance of the country, and particularly in the class of member you send tq Parliament. For this reason it is essential that you should carefully consider the grave problems of the day freed from party or sectional bias, and the Welfare League ventures to place before you certain aspects of the, present political position from a national point of view. THE MAIN ISSUE. Speaking broadly, the alternatives before the^,country ;are on the one hand sound, progressive government recognising the rights of the individual, and on the other, socialistic communism ailhing at the abolition of individual property and rights, and controlling every activity. The Eeform and Liberal Parties stand for the first, and the so-called "Labour" Party for the latter. Do not make any mistake about this aspect pf the present elections, and do not allow artificial party divisions, specious manifestoes, and other electioneering: devices to cloud the real issues at stake. WHAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS. The Great War has been followed by | world-wide difficulties—these can only be solved by good government and sound statemanship; no quack remedies, will meet the case. At the coming elections you are offered two alternative remedies. The Reform and Liberal Parties propose to build up and strengthen,, in the interests of all, the shattered fabric of our institutions by constructive measures, while the 'Red Party advocate the tearing down —in one act—of the whole special and political structure which- has taken centuries to build, and to substitute in its place a nebulous machine-ma4e abomination, which past and present history has proved to be disastrous to everyone outside a few self-interested leaders. The, cpuntry needs stability and an opportunity to work out its own salvation, with all classes co-operating in the national interest. The Bed Party offerß class-warfare, which means ruin to all. TRADE AND INDUSTRY. The prosperity of the country benefits the whole population, and that prosperity can only be realised by allowing trade, commerce, and industry to be carried on without the handicap of artificial regulations or compulsory controls. Any legislation which tends to interfere with the natural laws of supply and demand must, as a general rule, result in curtailing the enterprise on which our prosperity depends. New Zealand requires less Government interference and less restrictive legislation. For these reasons the league protests against the tendency of both Beform and Liberal Parties, in Parliament and in their manifestoes, to extend Government activities and to continue restrictive legislation, but we ask you to realise that the Bed Party's objective is to absolutely abolish individual efforts and to "socialise" the whole of the country's trade, industry, commerce, and production. . ■ '

The lesson of history is that there is no form of Government so tyrannical as a bureaucracy, and the Red Party aims at a bureaucracy of the worst type.

Nothing kills" enterprise more than heavy taxation, which also injures the wage-earner and causes unemployment. In order to expand trade and enlarge TAXATION AND EXPENDITURE, our industries, it is essential that a substantial proportion of each year's income should be capitalised and put back into the business. This process increases employment, and by greater • production lessens the cost of the product. The Government now takes so large a proportion of income by way of taxation that there is nothing left to put back into industry for expansion. The result, if this state of things continues, must be stagnation and .unemployment. The only remedy for this evil is further drastic reduction- of public expenditure oil sound lines, and we call on you to satisfy yourself that the candidate you vote for will support a policy of overhauling our public expenditure and placing it on a business footing and a speedy curtailment of borrowing—except for necessary Public Works that will be interest-earning. A little has been done in this direction; both Reform and Liberal manifestoes contain somewhat vague general promises of more, but the Red Party's manifesto makes extravagant promises which must entail extra expenditure and must largely increase taxation, and indicates no suggestion of economy, which is the crux of the position.

OUR APPEAL. ; For these reasons we ask you to vote for the best men, independent of party considerations, and above all vote so that your vote will tell effectively against every candidate who is pledged to support the destructive policy of communism which means the end of individual liberty of action.

For the National Executive,

Wellington, 14th Nov.-, 1922. ARTHUR P. HARPER, Secretary. C. P. SKERRETT, President. —Advfc.