LABOUR'S CAMPAIGN

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 122, 19 November 1931, Page 9

LABOUR'S CAMPAIGN

ME. NASH AT PETONE

"PRINCIPLES BETRAYED"

Mr. Walter Xash, the Labour Party candidate for the Hutt scat, address : ed a crowded meeting in the Labour Hall, Petone, last evening. Mr. D. M'Kenzie presided. Mr. Nash said that never had the electors had a more vital decision to make than on 2nd December. He had not imagined before sitting in the House as a member that those who had upheld the principles of the old Liberal Party would throw up all those principles as they had. He again attacked the Government for its action in limiting tho benefits of the Mortgagors' Relief Amendment Act to the country only. Workers and townspeople were as fully entitled to consideration under the Act as the farmer, for in. ninny cases their life-time savings upon small properties were gone, but the farmer alone could receive relief under tho Act. The counties rate proposed was another example of discrimination in favour of the farming community: the method of allocation was unfair and unjust. The grant of £250,000 for the counties, £100,000 for the purchase of fertilisers, and the abolition of the graduated land-tax showed to what lengths tho Government would goto capture the country seats. Nothing broke more with old Liberal principles than when the Government a month ago repealed the graduated land tax. THE WEALTHY LAND-OWNERS. The action of tho Government in abolishing the graduated tax designed to break up the larger estates, said Mr. Nash, had been in effect to make ■ a gift to six wealthy land-owners of nearly £15,000 per annum. The area of land owned by the six holders was 71,73-4: acres, of an unimproved value of' £075,34!). Prior to the abolition of the graduated tax the tax assessed on those lands was £17,- r)B6, whereas the tax now levied, at the flat rate of Id in the & of unimproved value, wa.s £2814, representing an annual saving lo six land-owners of £14,772. Capitalised, that annual saving represented, at 5 per cent., an actual gift of £.295,000 to six wealthy land-owners. The net saving to all wealthy landowners for the current year by the abolition of the graduated tax would amount to £320,000, or, capitalised, an actual gift, of six and a half millions, not to farmers generally, but to wealthy land-owners; to the average farmer' the abolition meant nothing of relief. "And that Act was repealed," paid Mr. ISnsh, "within a fortnight of the threepence in the pound tax on workers' wages." A FURTHER "CUT." If the present Government, was returned to .power, said Air. Nash, the I.C. and A. Act was definitely in danger, and if tho Arbitration Court; went all the conditions that had been fought for would go, wages would slump, hours would not be counted as they were to-day, and the threat of the' strike and the lock-out would bo back again. "A further cut of 5 per cent, will be made if they go back," continued Mr. Nsish. "Arbitration Court principles will be stultified, further economies in education and social services will be made, and they will rely upon the fickle mind of the public to forget in the next three years." He recalled that in 1922, when it was proposed to reduce the wages of Civil servants in three stages, two cuts were made, and then came an election. Before that election there were eight Labour members; after it there were seventeen, and the third cut was never made. A THREAT TO EDUCATION. Tho danger to education and the free place system, continued Mr. Nash, was revealed by a reply made by the Prime Minister to n. question whether the policy of the Government was to make it more difficult to obtain proficiency certificates. The steps being

taken would raise tho hurdles so high that it would be impossible for a third of the children to pass. He had asked Die Prime Minister whether tho proposed economies would affect free places in secondary schools, to which the Prime Minister had replied that the examinations would bo conducted "under the same regulations as last year." Mr. Atmore then asked whether it was true that instructions had been issued to mark harder against the candidates for proficiency certificates, for if that was done it would be inside the regulations, but it would prevent many boys and. girls from obtaining secondary education. The Prime Minister, after consulting an officer of the department, replied that tho matter was under consideration. "The carrying out of this policy, said Mr. Nash, "will bring hardship and disappointment to man}' parents and scholars. The children, will be denied their full educational development —not because they cannot qualify —but because tho Government in a j mistaken economy campaign lias determined to make savings at the expense ot: the children." THE UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM. In introducing the question of unemployment relief, Mr. Nash paid a tribute to the late Sir Joseph Ward for the high and far-seeing stand which he had taken. Ho was satisfied that unemployment in New Zealand would not have been half so bad had Sir Joseph Ward lived and his supporters not sold themselves as they, had now done. Sir Joseph's forecast that should the rate of pay bo reduced below the amount necessary for the men to pay their way the amount of unemployment would enormously increase had unfortunately been only too fully proved. The Coalition candidates had upon their shoulders the responsibility of the cuts in salaries and wages, and tho pitifully low rate of pay for relief workers. The meeting unanimously supported a motion expressing appreciation of the service given by Mr. Nash as member for the district during the past two years, and pledging support for his candidature.