LABOUR'S PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 120, 17 November 1931, Page 10

LABOUR'S PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED

USING THE NATION'S CREDIT

The programme on which the Labour Party will fight the General Election was issued to-day, over the names of the Leader of the Parliamentary Party (Mr. H. E. Holland), the Dominion President (Mr. H. G. R. Mason), and the General Secretary (Mr. iW. Nash). The manifesto states that the Labour. Party proposes to use the nation's credit for the purpose of carrying out a bold policy of industrial development, primary and secondary. The opinion is expressed that all the credit necessary can be raised in the Dominion. The immediate provision of productive work to enable the unemployed to earn sufficient to maintain themselves and their dependants is promised, and the party also undertakes to re-introduce the graduated land t.x on large land holdings, maintain the conciliation and arbitration system, and maintain existing educational, hospital, and pension facilities.

[ The manifesto is as follows: — Never in. its history have the people ef the" Dominion been asked to make a. more momentous decision than tho »ne they will make next month. The decision is vital. It is between th« drift, gloom, and depression of the present Government, and organisation, development, and employment for our people. Taxation, local and national, is increasing rapidly—citizens are losing their homes—the savings of lifetimes are ■ drifting away. A halt must be palled. With proper reorganisation no family need lose its home. No citizen, old or young, need go short of essentials. We have wonderful natural resources. Access to them is denied by the policy of drifting statesmen who have no faith either in themselves or the people. The flow of credit, which'is the lifeblood of our commercial and productive system, has been blocked. The block should be removed and tho flow restored. LARGE RESERVE OF CREDIT. The records- and traditions- of the Dominion show how progressive minds overcame difficulties. In the early •'nineties John Ballance and Richard John Seddon lifted the country from depression to prosperity.' Between 1914 and 1919, eighty millions sterling was raised for war purposes. Fiftyfive millions of it was raised in tho Dominion. Thero is still a large reserve of credit available for productive development. The Labour Party proposes to use the nation's credit for reconstruction purposes. The present banking laws permit this to be done. With a mandate from the people, Labour 17111 ask Parliament for authority to raise sufficient credit in New Zealand to carry out a bold policy of Industrial development, primary and secondary. All "the credit necessary can be raised in the Dominion. The credit will be used, for the development of enr own natural resources. Productive development will bring commodities snd assets. Willing men and women of the' present—and boys and girls who are coming' on, are entitled to some measure of security and permanent employment. It is better to utilise our available labour in productive work than to continue the present wasteful anS demoralising method of spending the, unemployment funds. EXTENDING TAXATION SOURCE. Taxation increases cannot go on indefinitely. The source from which taxation is drawn must be extended. The national income must be increased. It cannot be done by taxing one section to keep the rest working part-time. Especially when the work is of second and third-class importance. Credit is the first essential. Given a mandate, from the people, Labour .will raise the money. Tha,co-opera-tion of the Associated Banks and leading citizens will be invited. (The money will all be raised within existing banking laws.) The raising of the money means direct employment of New Zealand workers. Employment in New Zealand industries. The drift in our national tradingl accounts will be arrested. . The Labour Party submits the fol-