FUTURE POLICY

Evening Post, Issue 50, 27 August 1935, Page 10

FUTURE POLICY

GOVERNMENT'S PLANS

THE HOUSING PROBLEM

SOCIAL ■■SERVICES

(Special to the "Evening Post.")

RANGIORA, This Day.

Points which will be a feature of the policy which the National Government will place before the electors at the coming General Election were briefly referred to by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) in an address at Rangiora last night. He stated that once again the Reform and United Parties had decided to sink all party differences and appeal to the country as a National Government.

"This is not yet the time, nor is it the place, to detail the Government's policy for the future, if, as I am confident will be the case, they are returned to power at,the next election," said Mr.. Forbes. "As the country is aware, the Reform Party and the United Party, appreciating the fact that the times call, at this juncture more than evei% for a complete cooperation of effort, have again decided to sink all party differences and to appeal to the country as a National Government, in the interests of the whole of the population of the Dominion and not of any sectional portions. The National Political Federation which has been formed for this purpose, and which has been accepted so readily and so universally by the supporters of the Reform and the United Pai-ties, is an indication of our complete conviction that" unity and cooperation must continue to be our policy. 'United we stand but divided we fall.'

"Now that we have dealt with the urgent measures of reconstruction— measures which are on the Statute Book and which are being put into operation so that they may fulfil the intentions and policy of the Government— we can now turn to consider what steps can be taken for the improvement of the, conditions of life of all sections of the community. We intend to make a special effort in connection with the unemployment problem in the; hope of putting it on to a sounder basis and we intend to take every possible step within our power to stimulate industry in order that a greater number of workers may be absorbed into the usual channels of employment.

"So far as overseas trade is concerned we are paying special attention to improving the quality of our products and to exploring to the utmost every possibility of extending markets. As the country is aware, we have -recently appointed a Trade Commissioner in Europe with headquarters at Brussels and'another in the United States of America with headquarters at Los Angeles. As opportunity offers,. it is our intention to extend this representation to enable us to take advantage ,of any improved international conditions and any relaxation of present trade restrictions that will enable us to.widen our markets. ;

"The question of housing- is receiving our very careful attention anil while in the United Kingdom the Minister of Finance and I devoted a considerable amount of time to investigating the remarkable progress that is being made there in this matter. We collected a; great deal of information as to the action that is being taken by the_ Government and by the municipalities for improving the conditions in the cities and Mr. Packwood, an engineer of the Public Works Department, who is at present in the Old Country, has been detailed to make a special survey of the position and to collect all possible information, particularly as to the class of building that is being erected and the cost of construction.

"We have also under examination many suggested schemes for improving the social conditions of our people, including the questions cf social insurance, health insurance, and medical attention, together with many other matters for social betterment." ' ■'.