A WARNING

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 126, 23 November 1935, Page 12

A WARNING

LABOUR DISCLOSURE

MR. TREADWELL'S COMMENTS

STABTUNG CONFESSION

Describing it as one of the most startling confessions ever made by the Labour Party, Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell, Nationalist candidate for Wellington North, speaking at the Sturdee Hall, Ghuznee Street, last night, had something to say about the reported remarks of Mr. J.-W. Munro, Labour candidate for Dunedin North. He had some difficulty in saying it, as he had to compete against a disconcerting fire of interjection and hostile comment, but he managed to go the whole journey and tell his audience all he wanted to tell it. Indeed, it was something of a vocal triumph for him. Mr. Treadwell said that the statement made by Mr. Munro served as a warning against adopting Labour as the governing party. "Now that the election is drawing near," said the candidate, " excitement is growing and the carefully guarded statements issued by the Labour Party of a distinctly pink colour are in the heat of the moment showing up in flaming red.", Voice: A good old colour! "Already their guaranteed prices policy is being ridiculed frc i one end of the country to the other, and the fatuous promise of credit making is going the same way. (Derisive laughter.) "They show themselves as impractical visionaries and they hate the revelation of their own* incompetence, so in the heat of the moment they reveal themselves. The truth was blurted out yesterday and by one of the most prominent and responsible Labour leaders,.Mr. Munro, in Dunedin. He said that his party would be constitutional, that is,'preserve the peace and order of the country, just so long and no longer than it pleased it. (Hear, hear.) "Realising that' the public credit would go if they won this election," continued the speaker, "Mr. Munro has threatened to smash the freedom of the Press." (Cheers.) Voice: Good for them. They might tell the truth then! "... if the papers advised the depositors in the banks to withdraw their savings." A voice: Ah, ah, don't be naughty. Another: Is that how frightened you are? The chairman (Mr. D. Perry) at this stage had to stem the flow of 'interruptions. Mr. Treadwell remarked that if the Labour Party got into power "every man jack" of the people would take their savings out. A voice: Talk some sense! Mr. Treadwell: I am just giving you what some of your leaders are saying. Apparently Mr. Munro does not realise that no paper would make ruch a suggestion. Depositors would at once become apprehensive and withdraw their savings to some safer place. A CLEAR REVELATION. He went on to say that nothing could reveal more clearly and act as a clear warning to the people of New Zealand than the threat expressed by Mr. Munro. He threatened to amend the Reserve Bank Act. That Bank would be concerted into a purely State bank and create' such credit (save the word!) as would be necessary. He would nationalise credit—simply that. (Lusty cheers.) ' '■ "He said this: 'I am not going to threaten, but we might teach the newspapers a lesson,' and then he goes on in the clearest terms to suggest that they would control the newspapers of New Zealand, they might imprison the directors and limit the matter to be published to suit their own purposes. (Hear, hear.) Voice: Why not? Mr. Treadwell: We are in a free country, and we are going to remain free. He said that Mr. Munro had added: "And we* will deal with them as some of our Communist friends were dealt with." (Cheers.) "Did he mean comrades when he said 'Communist friends'?" asked Mr. Treadwell, who said that Mr. Munro had added that if his party could not carry out its policy they would go to the country and get a mandate to do it, and if they could not do it, then the only thing to do would be to go out and smash things. (Loud applause and cheers.) ■ "In the heat of the momentf' continued Mr. Treadwell, "the Labour Party revealed itself—just in time for the electors to be warned. They propose at all costs to nationalise credit. That is their own deliberate programme. "Now I want to read two statements made by two other politicians. Voices: Who are they? Give us their names. Mr. Treadwell: Yes, I will give you their names when I've finished. The first is this: "We are all agreed that the first steps in this direction must be such measures as the nationalisations of the banks. Let us put into practice these and similar measures and we shall see. We cannot at once nationalise the small consumers concerned, that is, one or two wage workers, or place them under a real workers' control. Through the nationalisation of the banks they may be tied hand and foot." The other quotation is this: "You must remember there are always first steps. You must socialise credit first. The other things will come later. If you want to go through a door you must have the key first. Socialisation of credit is the key." "You will remember that the Labour Party stands for the socialisation of banks and credit. The two quotations that I have read were uttered by Lenin and Lang, Is there any real difference?" Voice (fervently): Good old Lang.