LABOUR'S POLICY

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 76, 27 September 1927, Page 9

LABOUR'S POLICY

HELPING THE PRODUCER

"My first consideration 5s the primary producer," was the keynote, struck by Mr. W. Lee Martin, Labour candidate for the Baglan electorate, in a speech at Baglan on Saturday evening (reports the "New Zealand Herald"). Mr. W. F. Johns presided over an attendance of 70 people. Mr. Martin said he had been impressed with the problems that beset the man on the land, and he had. given earnest consideration to the'"question of solving those problems.

Replying to-the remarks made by the^ Hon. A. D. M'Leod, Mr. Martin reminded his audience that the-.Minis-ter had stated that there were only two men in the contest, "the Eeform candidate and the Labour candidate. Mr." Martin said he was a farmer as well as Mr. M'Leod, and he was' no more "red" than was Mr. M'Leod. His mission" in life was %o promote the interests of the farmers. He denied Mr. M'Leod's statement that the Labour Party's platform was drawn up by the Parliamentary Labour Party. The platform was drawn up by the Labour Conference, which was 'constituted on purely democratic lines; •

LABOUR PARTY'S OBJECTIVE.

Mr. Martin said he was afraid Mr. M'Leod was behind in his information^ regarding the Labour Party's platform, for he had been quoting from the 1925 conference decisions. The 1927 platform regarding the length of,the working, week was quite different from that quoted by Mr. M'Leod. The candidate said he was pledged to support the Labour Party's platform, but he point-* ed out that that platform' was varied from time to time and that it was only an objective which might not be attained for many years. He believed that the platform' could be expressed in much more simple language and that there was much, in it he would cut out. Nothing, however, could be accomplished against the' Will of the people. Much had been made by the'Beform Party of Mr. M'Combs's Bill in which Mr. M'Combs desired to make the minimum wage £5 a week. As a matter of fact, said Mr. Martin, Mr. M'Combs had'got his cue from the Primo Minister, who, when speakii-g at the opening of the Hutt Valley settlement, said there'were many people receiving less than £5 a week, who were unable to find the 5 per cent, deposit required on a Government house.

"NOT BOTTND TO MR. HOLLAND.' 1

The speaker described as "piffle" the allegation that he waa bound to Mr.

Holland; Except for receiving a note of congratulation from Mr. Holland he had had no communication from him. Mr. had no control over hiu vote. The great issue before the electors of_ Raglan was, "Are you satisfled •with the administration of the Reform Party?" New Zealand would not have been in the position it was to-day if the war had been ' handled differently. If wealth as well as manhood had been conscripted, there would have been no profiteers and the country would not have had the economic difficulties it had to-day:

The people of New Zealand, said Mr. Martin, had in 1925 given Mr. Coates the most glorious chance that had ever been given to a.man in this ; country. Inactivity and lack of a J constructive policy on the part of the Government and its Prime Minister had, however, spoiled a great political career. The candidate wanted the man on the land given greater facilities for borrowing money on easy terms and greater encouragement given to the development of rural lands.

POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK.

Mr. Martin charged the Government wITE deliberately restricting the activities of the State Advances Office in.'the interests of the private" financial ins ti: tutions. He attacked the Government for curtailing the limit of deposits in the PosfcOffice Savings Bank, and said tnis was done at the. instance of the banks. In support of this statement he quoted an extract from, a speech made by the chairman of the Bank o£ New Zealand, Sir' George Elliot.

, The.system under which immigrants were induced to come to New Zealand was criticised by the candidate. Ho said he. believed in immigration : provided it .was properly controlled/ and considered, the country could absorb from ten to twenty times its present population. , Concluding, the candidate said if money could flow bact-to the land and the position of the farmer be stabilised, greater prosperity would result. He advocated a system of cp-operation in the Empire by inter-Empire trade with a view to increasing the price of New Zealand primary produce. His first consideration would be for the primary producer, and he did not caw how much the man in the cities earned so long as the farmer did well. He . wanted to see .the middleman and the profiteer eliminated.

The candidate was accorded a vote o£ thanks. *"