VOTE SPLITTING

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 136, 5 December 1929, Page 10

VOTE SPLITTING

QUERY FROM MR. NASH

The statement made by Mr. J. Kerr, the United candidate, the previous night-that tho real fight in. the campaign is between United and Labour was replied to by Mr. Nash at Moera. The Eeform and United candidates, said Mr. Nash, accused each other of splitting the vote. What vote? Not the Labour vote. It was amusing to hear Mr. Kerr ask Labour to get behind him, and yet say the fight was between United and Labour. ' Since the adjournment of Parliament, Mr. Coates- had said he would increase the salaries of Public Servants on the lower schedule by £15, but he had not the power to do so. But ho could have done it when he moved the amendment to the Labour motion to restore the cut. The Eeform candidate, said Mr. Nash, had been talking a great deal about the need for co-operation between Capital and Labour, but so long as he had known the Eeform Party they had only thrown sand in the wheels of cooperation between employers and employees. Under the Arbitration Amendment Act in 1922 the Arbitration Court ■was given powers—and exercised them —to reduce tho wages of the workers by ss, 3s, and then Is, taking from the workers something like 50 millions, and at the same time reduced taxation on the wealthiest section of the community. Cuts were made in the salaries of Civil servants, and in spite of the agreement made had not been restored. Mr. Johnston had talked of the burden of taxation, but he (the speaker) could tell them that last year there were two taxpayers, who, after paying taxation, had £28,512 each, and 63 returned assessable incomes of £10,000, and after paying their full share of taxation had £8312 left. Many a mother was there struggling to keep a family and make ends meet on £2 10s. And Mr. Johnston talked of taxation being heavy. Mr. Johnston expressed his fears of Socialism, but tho Post Office Savings Bank was a typical example of Socialism.

Mr. Nash dealt with the subject of family allowances and said these would be increased when Labour came into power. The Labour Party would fight hard to see that everyone received sufficient to maintain a reasonable standard of living. Dealing with the Arbitration Court, Mr. Nash said that until the Court fixed a wage sufficient to enable the average mother to keep tho average home, Labour would fight the decisions of the- Court. There was no need to strike, as the remedy was in the hands of the people when they went to the poll.

Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P., and Mr. H. G. E. Mason, M.P., spoke in support of Mr. Nash, who was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. Mr. G. Sutherland presided at tho meeting.