LABOUR'S CASE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 111, 6 November 1935, Page 14

LABOUR'S CASE

MR. SAVAGE SPEAKS

GOVERNMENT ATTACKED

Scenes of enthusiasm were witnessed in the Town Hall last, evening, when the, Leader of the Labour Party (Mr. M. j. Savage) opened the party's national campaign. The hall was crowded, and Mr. Savage had eyery reason to Be pleased'with the reception accorded to. him when he took the platform.- The large audjence cheered him heartily^ and throughout; the meeting his. address was "punctuated with cheers and Applause. Mr. Savage criticised many points in the which had been followed by the Coalition Government, and proceeded to deal with the policy which the Labour Party would put into operation if it was returned to office. ~-.■■ Labour's programme he summarised as follows:— 1. Immediately restore the cuts made in-all'pensions, and, where full pensions are involved, place them on a basis of a reasonable standard of life. ■ ' "■•■.■. 2. Establish a national-system of superannuation which will be payable, to all'citizens beginning at sixty years of age, or invalidity, and extending in accordance with scientific development and increased production. 3. Restore all cuts made in wages and salaries. .4. Safeguard superannuation rights of all civil servants. 5. Assume control of the public credit and establish a national credit authority whose .duty it will be to provide a money service sufficient to give effect to the will of Parliament. 6. Organise a national health service based upon universal insurance; .providing for payment for services rendered, whether in the home or the public institution; and safeguarding rights of friendly societies. 7. Re-establish all able-bodied workers in the industries, public works, and services of the Dominion at rates of pay that will enable them to obtain an equitable share of the country's total production. 8. Guarantee economic prices to farmers and others who are producing in accordance with the Dominion's requirements; and further extend primary and secondary industries. 9. Provide adequate protection for secondary industries which can be" economically developed in the Dominion. (In this connection it is the intention of Labour to maintain Customs tariffs where necessary until industry can be protected by ■ substantial control of external trade.) :■ 10. Readjust mortgages.. on the basis of guaranteed-prices, beginning at an average of prices ruling during the past eight or ten years. ' 11. Extend the activities of the Education Department in providing free education from the kindergarten to the university—including the " reinr statement of five-year-old children in primary" schools. •, ■" 12. Co-opt the services of all members who are elected to support-Labour in order to obtain their full service in the shaping and administration'of the law. .■ ■ : Mr. P."Fraser,' Deputy Leader of-the Labour Party, who presided, said he had recently met statesmen from many countries, and he could say quite honestly and without indulging in extravagances that he had met no one who stood higher than the. Leader of the Opposition, who, he hoped and prayed, would be the Prime Minister of New Zealand after the General Election. (Cheers.) Mr. Savage was destined to be one of New Zealand's'greatest statesmen. On rising to speak, Mr. Savage was received with cheers. He remarked that Mr. Fraser had set him a high standard, but he would do his best to live up to it. After extending a welcome to Mr. and Mrs. Fraser on their return from abroad, Mr. Savage congratulated Wellington on the vigour it was putting into the election campaign. THE DEMOCRATS' PARTY. Dealing first with the position of parties in the election, Mr. Savage said that students of political history in New Zealand would at once realise that the work of the Democrats in the main was to keep the Labour Party off the Treasury benches. The leader of the Democrats, Mr. Hislop, had definitely stated that he would not record a vote which might have the effect of putting Labour into power. "Unfortunately, for Mr. Hislop," said Mr. Savage, "there are only two loblies in Parliament, and unless he has a clear majority of his own (which is very unlikely) he must vote either to put the Government into power, or to put Labour into power. There is no middle course. It is quite clear from Mr. Hislop's own statement that any Democrat candidates that may be elected will form part of an auxiliary force to keep the present Government in power. What else can Mr. Hislop's statement mean? The whole thing has a very questionable ring about it." The impending battle would be between the present Government and Labour, with a few well-meaning but helpless Independents thrown in, said Mr. Savage. The real issue was should private banking corporations continue in control of currency and credit, or should the State assume control. "There are a thousand and one minor I issues that must come up for consideration and immediate action, but unless the money problem is solved there is little hope of a permanent solution of the other problems facing the country." he said. "The daily Press has already taken sides in the matter and a campaign in support of the Associated Banks has already begun. A banking system which has been responsible for the bankruptcy of thousands of our best citizens is referred to as a 'sound banking system.'" The recent Canadian elections had resulted! in a sweeping majority for Mr. Mackenzie Kins, who was pledged to the

principle of State control of currency and credit, which was the cardinal feature of the New Zealand Labour's policy. "ECONOMIC MADNESS." The story of the life of the. Coalition Government had revealed such a picture of maladministration and eco- j nomic madness on the part of Ministers as to make a speedy end of the present Government almost inevitable. Government by Royal Commission had become an institution which should be superseded by the elected representatives of the people. Royal Commissions had their place when charges of maladministration had to be investigated I and reported upon, but they should I never be employed to find a policy for the Government of the day as had been the case in recent years. Labour proposed to meet that situation by coopting the services of all members elected to support a Labour Government. Ministers would still be appointed as at present and the prerogative of the .Crown would be preserved, but rank and file members of the Government Party would be associated with each Minister according to their fitness for the various positions. The cost of government would not. be increased; neither was it the intention of Labour members to divide among themselves fees at present : paid to Royal Commissioners as suggested by a section of the Press. The intention was, to pool salaries already paid and to share according to arrangement. It had been said that Labour, members were in Parliament . for what, they could get out of it, but-the proposal outlined would cost Ministers anything from £400 to- £800-, a year, and.'was a substantial reply to Labour's traducers. :The proposal had"been.unanimously adopted, first by the Parliamentary Labour Party and ultimately by the annual conference of the party. The main object was to make it possible to bring about far-reaching changes for the benefit.of the people in the shortest time possible. WAGE REDUCTIONS. -Dealing-with the wage reduction policy of the Government, Mr. 'Savage said that Ministers stated that the Dominion's trade depended upon external buying power, but thinking people knew that- unless the people of the Dominion were able to pay economic prices for all goods and services— including imports—sold in New Zealand trade could not be expanded and bankruptcy would be inevitable. "It is no exaggeration to say," said Mr. Savage, "that from January, 1930, to the end of 1934 the aggregate amount of wage reductions was not less than £100.000,000; while the aggregate sum due.- to the reductions made under the Public Expenditure Adjustment Act in 1922 could not possibly have been less than another £100,000,000. When Ministers are inquiring as to the source of the finance that will be necess; .y to carry out Labour's policy it is well that they should remember the total amount de^ stroyed by Acts of Parliament since 1922." A SHORTER WEEK. .The Government promised a conference early next year to • discuss the; introduction of shorter hours of labour, . but Labour said that definite action should be taken immediately. The machine was taking the place of human labour and unless the benefit was passed on to the people in the form of shorter hours of labour and increased pay-the results of science and invention would be lost. The Government had also 'promised to revise the Apprenticeship Act in order to safeguard the interests of the boy. Labour ion the other hand, said it was rather late in the day-to speak about the interests Of thousands of apprentices whose contracts were broken, and the boys turned into the streets. Commenting on the fact'that there were 58,000 men a charge on the Unemployment Fund at present the Leader of the, Labour. Party said that the full period of the life of the Coalition Government provided a story of destitution and ragged clothes for thousands of men, women, and children, while alleged statesmen were discussing restriction of production in order to make it fit in with a shortage of buying power. The Government in its manifesto said that it was going in for a "long-range works policy" and that the public works policy was being co-ordinated with the unemployment policy. In other words, the public works of the Dominion were to be continued under relief conditions. Labour said that public works .should be carried out under reasonable living conditions and at standard rates of pay. The Government, said Mr. Savage, had promised a universal superannuation scheme as soon as financial conditions permitted, which would probably not be during the lives of the present generation if the present money system was continued. Labour said the money system should be made to serve the needs of the people, instead of forcing the people to serve the needs of the money changers. So long as production was sufficient there was no reason for' postponing the introduction of universal superannuation,commencing at sixty years of age, or invalidity. Much the same applied to a national health ■ service. Labour stood for a national health service based upon universal insurance. HOUSING FOR THE PEOPLE. "The Government," said Mr. Savage, "has promised a national housing scheme. Careful expert inquiry and fullest discussion will precede the launching of the scheme, says the Government's manifesto. Ministers appear to have quite overlooked the fact that the wage-reducing policy of the Coalition Government has wrecked the housing policy of the State Advances to Workers Department, and destroyed the life savings of hundreds of working men. Labour says the foundation of any housing scheme must be increased wages and salaries. With a majority in Parliament Labour will begin immediately to lay that foundation, and provide decent living conditions for the people." Mr. Savage next proceeded to deal with the question of taxation. "For many years," he said, "the tendency has been to shift taxation from incomes to indirect forms of taxation, which always involve the poorer section of the people in the payment of taxes out of all proportion to their ability to pay. Whatever way a tax is levied it must come from the incomes of the people. Readjustment of j taxation must not be understood to I mean increased taxation which has already been overdone. During -1933 and 1934 over £50.000.000 was collected from the people by means of sales, Cus-

Toms, and unemployment taxes, and the high rate of exchange." A DICTATORSHIP. Strongly criticising the provisions of the Agriculture (.Emergency Powers) Act, which, he said, provided for a virtual dictatorship in the primary industries, Mr. Savage said the purpose of the Act appeared to be to squeeze the last ounce out of the industry concerned rather than to find means of paying for the increasing production, which was already an accomplished fact. The Executive Commission of Agriculture, • with a fairly substantial guaranteed price for their services and with the power of a Hitler, were at present engaged in bringing the dairy farmer up to date. The fact that the dairy farmer had doubled his production in ten years without any increase in his income was not seriously considered. Passing next to the Mortgage Corporation, Mr. Savage said the introduction of private capital, together with semi-pri-vate control, meant the end of Statelending institutions so long as the Government existed. The Corporation was presided over by the managing director of.Wright, Stephenson's, Ltd. —a competitive lending institution with mortgage interests all over the Dominion. He was also a director of other | privately-controlled lending institutions. How could justice be done by any person with conflicting interests to serve? The policy of Labour was to place the Mortgage Corporation on a basis similar to the State Advances Department. At the cor.elusion of Mr. Savage's address the following motion was car|ried unanimously:— That this meeting cordially thanks. Mr. M. J. Savage, Leader of the Opposition, fo:r his eloquent address, and expresses complete confidence in his ability ,md that of the Labour Party of which he is the able, respected, and trusted leader, to direct and guide New Zealand into economic security and permanent prosperity for ill our citizens. We pledge oursslves to work wholeheartedly for the return of the Wellington Labour candidates. Messrs. Semple,' Mc'.Xeen, Butler, Chapman, and Fraser. Cheers were given for Mr. Savage and the Labour Party. ■