WELLINGTON SUBURBS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 103, 28 October 1925, Page 9

WELLINGTON SUBURBS

MR. CHAPMAN AT NORTHLAND

Mr. C. H. Chapman, Labour candidate for the suburbs seat, addressed a meeting in St. Anne's Schoolroom, Northland, last night'. . Mr. J. Case presided.

Mr. Chapman characterised as a. stupid and iikilumoiis slander the statement that the Labour Party proposed to confiscate, either directly or indirectly, any man's property. Tho land policy of tho Labour Party was formulated to prevent tho confiscation which took yilacc at present by moans of foreclosure, and in other ways. It frequently happened that a tradesman built up by his energy over a number of years, a profitable business. When his lease expired, what happened" Faced with an increase in rent, he found I hat in effect his business was confiscated. The land policy of the Labour Party would bo applied to land and houses financed, bj the State.

Provision would be made that transfers of property could be effected through the land Transfer Department at the bare cost of such transfers and with no charge for commission. Further, sale or transfer would be voluntary on the part of the seller; and he could fix his own price. If he did not want to part with his land he need not do so, but so that exorbitant) or unreasonable prices might not be charged, it was proposed that a landowner who desired to transfer or sell his land, and who put his own price on it, should bo taxed on that price. That would have tho effect of preventing exorbitant prices being placed on land. The Labour land policy was formulated for the purpose of preventing speculation in land, and to ensure that men who wanted to work land-should have the first opportunity of obtaining it. AVhen they obtained land they would have Government assistance and security of tenure. The tenure was practically a permanent tenure so long as the land was being used. Labour's land policy was intended to prevent speculation. Tho Reformers stood for speculation, and apparently the Nationalists favoured the same thing. Speaking of fusion, Mr. Chapman said it was to be hoped that the Reform and Liberal Parties would come together—he believed they would after the election—for there was really no reason for their being apart. He said it was preferable that the country should get back to the two-party system as soon as possible, so' that there might be a straight-out issue Labour versus those against Labour.

After stating tha-t the rank and file in the Government Service had not received increases commensurate with what they should have got, whereas Departmental heads had had their sal-' aries raised the candidate maintained that the Government did intend to cut down the wages of single men and married men without families in order to provide a motherhood endowment scheme. Mr. Coates had said that certain proposals were under consideration, and despite his denials of the Labour candidates' statements, no other proposals could be discovered than those set out in the report of the Labour Department. . Mr. Chapman advocated support for" the Labour Party's motherhood endowment scheme, the money; for which was to come from the Consolidated Fund.

After dealing with other matters and answering questions, Mr. Chapman was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.