PARTY PLAY

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 44, 30 August 1928, Page 13

PARTY PLAY

POLICY ON INDUSTRY NATIONAL AND LABOUR EEFOBM COMPARISON A general play-off against I)oth the National and Labour Parties with respect to their attitude' to the primary and secondary industries was indulged in by the Minister of Industries and Commerce (the- Hon. A. D. M'Leod) in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. The Minister said that Mr. Forbes, the Leader of tlio National Party, had been hoard that afternoon in one of his usual funeral dirges. In fact, Mr. Forbes had been "onlivening" this piossion with his dirges. ■Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt): "I think jhe is a cheery soul." Amidst laughter, the Minister remarked that apparently some step was fo bo taken which would result in tho National Party's present leader being hence the painful nature of jbis observations. Mr. P. Frasor (Wellington Central) asked whether the Minister did not think that Mr. Forbes had been very helpful and cheerful in suggesting portfolios. The Minister: "He is helpful in suggesting what others should do, but ho is doubtful as to what he should do liimself." Mr. J. M'Coinbs(Lytteltou): "He •oems to bo despairing of tho Government." "TO BE SYMPATHISED WITH." Mr. M'Leod said he thought . Mr. Forbes was afraid to venture any suggestion of policy for the future for fear that his party, which was for eve*' changing its leader, might in a few minutes ilx upon a new leader to whom Mr* Forbes would have to. subscribe. Tho speaker recognised that it -was -extremely difficult for Mr. Forbes to venture an opinion of policy on any matter, and he was to be sympathised Avith. In regard to the Labour Party, the Minister said that it had been very careful to skim round the question of policy in connection with the secondary industries. It had shown a desire to evade getting down to its viewpoint. Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central): "Are you attempting to try to Bkilfully bag them?" Mr. M'Leod said that the Labour Party might receive some assistance from the member for Raglan, Mr. Mar-' tin, in regard to the primary and secondary industries, but Mr. Martin was keeping very quiet. The Leader of the Opposition' (MiV H. E. Holland): "He stirred things up considerably tho other day." Mr. M'Leod: "He thinks it inadvisable to offer an opinion. At its annual conference the party decided to skate very lightly over tho question of policy in regard to secondary industries." Mr. Holland: "It was very definite." Mr. M'Leod said ho thought he was correctly interpreting the position when ho stated that the members of the Labour Party were allowed to use their judgment in the matter. Mr. Holland: "You are wandering in a fog." Tho Minister said that Australia ranked next to tho United States as the highest protective country in the world. Unemployment in America, with all its high protection,. was acute. , THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY. Mr. Holland: "How does this disclose the Government's lack of policy in respect to the secondary industries?" The Minister: "The Government of the country has a policy." Mr. Holland: "Why not use it?" The Minister replied that there was no other party in the Dominion prepared to submit a policy so that the electors might have an alternative. Mr. Forbes: "Wrong." Mr. M'Leod: "He says 'wrong,' but he has no responsibility for any policy. He says it will be fixed after the leader is selected. How can he vouch for it unless he is to be elected ■tho leader? .. . Tho Labour Party lias skated all round tho subject." Mr. Savage (Auckland West): "Touched upon tender ground." The Minister replied that Mr. Savage recognised that the Labour Party was not going to make very much headway in the country unless it could get hold of tho primary producers.'"They hope to get them this election, and they have to go cannily as far as tho farmers are concerned," proceeded the Minister, who added that the policy of the Government "right through the piece" had been against high protection. ■ "Why keep it dark?" inquired Mr. Fraser. "There is no necessity to keep it dark," replied the Minister. "It has been the policy of the Reform Party ever since it camo into office that there should bo moderato protection for those industries that arc based on our raw products." j Mr. Forbes: "That is the platform." Mr. Fi-aser (to Mr. M'Leod): "That is your policy. What is the Government's policy?" EETTER UNDERSTANDING' NEEDED. Tlie Minister replied that the policy would be the same as it had always been. He suggested to the Labour Party that in future there- would have to be a much better understanding between the labourer and the employer in tho secondary industries if progress was to'be made, no matter how high duties were put up. In Australia it had been found that competition with America was largely smothering the results' of those engaged in tho secondary industries. Mr. Parry: "Put your own failures on the shoulders of someone, else!" The Minister said that, Mr. Parry put only the worker's side of the case. Ho did not criticise him for that, because he knew that the workers had a case just as other sections of the community had, but Australian people had found that their most severe competitor in the secondary industries was America. Tho Industrial Commission which visited America found that out. The report of the Commission showed that Labour as well as other sections of the community in Australia had sonicthing to answer, and Labour had something to answer in this country, too. In all cases Labour put the labourer in the industry as the first and only point to fight for. Mr. Parry: "Does not national and international trade affect every section of the community?" Trade must affect the community, replied tho Minister, but so far as the primary industries were concerned there was a limit to wliich they could g°Mr. Holland: "You know tlie added value per worker in the secondary intlustries is ' increasing all the time, don 't you?" Mr. iC'Leei! replied that he iliii, but t'';ve v::.3 pk:it" of evident;; thai the t'"o:iic:!(lu:s ;iH'v.'::.<;e in tlie ellitieiscy of machinery in liie post-war period could make tho added value per worker very much larger than what it was. Mr. Holland: "It is 100 per coil, as against immediate pre-war years." Tho Minister: "As far as New Zealand is concerned it is still very much below American production." Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon) suggested that the Minister should take account

of tho vast amount of machinery used in America as compared with this country. Mr. M'Leod said that that was a point which could perhaps bo successfully argued, but all the evidence was in the direction of "freeing up" Labour itself—tho desires of Labour as against those who organised Labour. Throughout a very large section of Labour in New Zealand there was a desire to be "freed up" more than at present. I BRINGING THEM TOGETHER. Without wishing to criticiso any of his predecessors, Mr. M'Lood said that no Minister had done more than he to bring both tho primary and secondary interests together. Mr. Fraser: "We'd have to think that out a bit." The Minister said that only in, the last three or four years had endeavour been made to hold joint exhibitions of the products of the primary and secondary industries. Ho had attended practically all those and urged strongly the need for the man in the town and tho man in the country getting together in order to try to get at an understanding of each other's problems. Ho had always urged them to buy New Zealand goods first, and if they wero not available, then British goods. Mr. Sullivan: "Would you advocate secondary industries in tho rural districts?" The Minister replied in the affirmative, and said that he intended to go to the Waikato to urge this at the week-end. Mr. Holland: "You will havo to be more successful than last time." The Minister: "And I'll ask the member for Eaglan (Mr. W. L. Martin) to come along also. If he can preach secondary industries there as strongly as I can, then I will be prepared to compliment him." If the Labour Party had any idea on the subject it was afraid to come out on the platform to . say how it stood on the question of primary and secondary industries. A suggestion had been made about subsidies being better than protection, but he could see no difference. One was taken from the public through the Consolidated Fund and the other was taken from the public direct. Mr. W. L. Martin: "In one case you know what you are paying, in the other case you don't." Mr. Fraser (to the Minister): "Don't you take an extraordinary interest in the member for Raglan?" "FLY IN THE AMBER." Mr. M'Leod: "I do, because to me he. seems to be the fly in the amber. (Laughter.) He has a capacity for making speeches, but he does not make them all in the same place. I will be interested in him after the election is over in any case." Mr. Sullivan (referring to the Raglan by-election last year;: •' You doir - seem to have recovered from the blow yet." ________