WELLINGTON EAST

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 120, 17 November 1931, Page 5

WELLINGTON EAST

MR. FORSYTH OPENS

MEETING AT ROSENEATH

The Coalitirfn candidate for Wellington East, Mr. T. Forsyth, opened his campaign .with an address' to about fifty electors at the Koseneath School last evening. Ho was given an attentive hearing with comparatively few interruptions, and at -the 'conclusion of his remarks^ which dealt mainly with the policy of the Labour Party, a vote of. confidence was carried with only two dissentients. Mr. C. Pinnpck presided and referred to Mr. Forsyth's 'record of service on the City Council.ana the Education Board. Mr. Forsyth prefaced his remarks by expressing appreciation of the action of Messrs. .W. J. Gaudin and J. J. Clark in agreeing to submit their names to a tribunal for the selection of the Coalition candidate. He referred to the fact that the Labour Party had not come into the coalition of parties, and maintained that the Labour Party had placed party before country by refusing to co-operate in a time of desperate financial , stress.' What the country needed was- confidence.. The slackness of trade' and increased unemployment were partly accounted for by the fact that business men and investors wero postponing new ventures until they could sec tho result of tho' election. Only when they re- / gained confidence, such as would result from the election of a strong Coalition Government, would money become available for an expansion of business to overcome depression and unemployment. EQUAL SACRIFICES. The manifesto of the Coalition Government set out clearly that "the first purgose would, be to maintain the finan-, cesrqf the. State on" a sound basis," that "whatever further sacrifices wero required to enable1 tho country to weather thoYVJtorm 'would be demanded on a basi^-fair to-all/ Mr. Forsytk'-continu-ed;' ("Voices: "Oh" and "Tho same old cry.") Every official Labour candidate^ before his candidature could be endorsed, was obliged to pledge himself to adhere to the objective of the party, the socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and therefore the Labour Party could be .better described as the Socialist (Party. .That objective was never stressed in the open nowadays because tho people as a whole would cot stand for it. He 'had given no pledge except that he would support the Coalition' Government in a no-confidence motion. The 'Labour Party's principle of Socialism ;ivag a splendid thing for the man who .had nothing 'but it would ruin the average man and woman. (A voice: •"They are- now.")'" It'was the thin edge of the' wedge. 1 A voice: "How about those who can't get work?" . ■ Mr. Forsyth: "They can get work. I ; can always keep my jobs." / ; Another, voice: "Too right you can." (Laughter.) The chairman called further interjectors to order. LABOUR AND BARROWINO. Proceeding,. Mr. Forsyth drew attention to the' difference between the National Debt in" 1910 and in. 1931, 75 millions and 276 millions respectively,' and said that while it had to be admitted that it was' essential in the past for the development of tho country to borrow* large' sums, the time had now arrived when any suggestion of enormous loans must be critically examined and turned down unless for productive purposes. Nearly all the Labour Party's proposals, as enunciated by its leader, Hr. H. E. .Holland, involved the borrow- ■ ing of very large sums. Mr. Holland . was going to give everyone better wages, in fact, he suggested that the remedy was to build up incomes and apply taxation -on a graduated scale. That! meant that it was proposed to give higher wages and so get extra taxation, but was that feasible? It was illogical at any time, particularly at the present juncture. The Coalition Government had seen fit to stop the prosecution ■of further railway construction, Mr. Forsyth continued, b t ut the Labour Party urged that tH) work should bo continued and that - the country should go on losing money ad the rate of three-quarters of a million a year, A voice: "Mr. Holland didn't start the lines, did he?" Mr. Forsyth: "The Labour Party . never started anything. They . have never had the chance, and I hope they never will." - Another voice: "Tho damage is done -. now. It was your own party that started it." Mr. Forsyth: "And you suggest your leader should go pn with it1?" INTEREST RATES. The reduction of interests rates was easily advocated by the Labour Party but it was not as easily put into operation, Mr. ForsytL went on. It meant, among other .things, the breaking of contracts. . .' . A voice: "Tlie ten per cent, cut was not the breaking of a contract was it?" Mr. Forsyth: "It was shared by every- . body. It is nothing to what you would have if you had a Labour Government in power." RESTORING WAGE OUTS. Mr. Holland and his party , were . pledged at the last election against any increase in Customs' and primage duties but they had voted in favour of increased primage duties, said Mr. For' syth. .It had been .said that Labour, once in power, would lose no time in introducing legislation to restore wage cnt«, but the electors had only to look at what had happened in Australia, and partienlarly New South Wales, under Labour Government to realise what reHanea could be placed on such alluring promises. Mr. Forsyth gave details of ' tho w(ig« cuts and taxation imposed in Australia this year and referred to the fact that in August there were 325,000 unemployed in Australia, of which 124,- - 000 were in New South Wales alone.

The electors in New Zealand had an object lesson before them when it came to polling-day. They should remember what had happened in New South Wales in regard to the Post Office Savings Bank. All that had happened under a ] Labour regime. What weight, then, could bo attached to such promises as wage cut restoration? TCeplying to questions, Mr. Forsyth said that he would oppose any move to curtail the existing educational services and'would.devoto any savings towards better .facilities. He could see many ways in which money could be saved in tho secondary schools.

"Are you in favour of the abolition of the. Arbitration Court, and in the event of'We Coalition Government advocating a further cut, would you support it 3'Vwas ono question. Mr. Forsyth replied .that with some experience of the Arbitration Court he thought the Court always fixed award rates on the .basis of the second-grade man, and he considered that very unfair. He believed, that until things became normal again it would do no harm to have liberty of contract, and in that case the second-grade man would go to the wall.' He would oppose any further wago cut unless it was mado general.. Mr. Forsyth stressed the point that he would not answer any questionnaires sent to him. ■ He said that he deniedtho right of-any body to question him when its members might not be living in the district, and he would ansjycr questions only at his meetings. Mr. E. R. Render moved the following motion: "That this'meeting realising that the return to prosperity t>f th^s Dominion depends upon careful finances, expresses its confiden.ee in Mr. Forsyth and promises its support in his campaign. '' This' was carried almost unanimously.