HON. WALTER NASH

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 84, 6 October 1936, Page 9

HON. WALTER NASH

FAREWELL FUNCTION

PRESENTATIONS MADE

■ The esteem in which the Hon. Walter Nash, Minister of Finance, and Mrs. Nash, are held was shown by the large attendance in the Labour Hall, Petone, last evening, when a farewell function w'us held prior to their depariure for Britain. The function was organised by the'Hutt Labour Representation Committee.

The president of the Hutt Labour Representation Committee, Mr. J. Cumming, said that Mr. Nash was very busy in New Zealand, but his mission to the Homeland in connection with the marketing of New Zealand produce would be one of the finest things that had happened in any country. He was sure that Mr. Nash would complete his task with credit to himself and the people of New Zealand. He hoped Mr. Nash's stay overseas would be a pleasant one. He presented Mr. Nash with a- travelling rug and Mrs. Nash with a ladies' toilet companion.

Mr. Nash, who was received with applause, said that his connection with the electorate went back to 1921 or 1922, when he worked in support of Mr. Pritchard, the Labour Party's candidate for the seat. He himself was the candidate in 1925 and 1928, and altnougn he was not disappointed when the result was announced, some of those who had worked very hard for him were. When 1-e contested the by-elec-tion in 1929 he thought he would win, but the result was more narrow than lie had expected. He was in Parliament fur two years and then he had to stand again. In. 1935 he was able to hold the seat by an extraordinarily large majority. The Hutt seat was won in the way that the party won the other seats—because he was a , Labour candidate. In the case of the Manukau seat, no man in the Dominion had a larger personal following than Mr. W. J. Jordan, but the party was'able to get a com- ; paratively unknown man from Auck- ' land who could retain'the .seat for Labour by a majority of 4400 votes. ' In 1935' Labour obtained a tremendous a number-of vbtes against the past Government, -but the significance of the win this time was that the votes were cast in favour of the Labour Party. NEW LEGISLATION. Never in the history of the; country, said Mr. Nash, had so much legislation been put on the Statute Book in eight months for the benefit of those who usefully employed their time. Apart . from all the new legislation relating to >, pensions, etc., the Government had . brought.about a restoration of cuts and • the introduction of the 40-hour week, • in spite of a lot of opposition to the latter. The Government was only just ; starting along the road, and it was : building a strong foundation as it went -. For a time the Government had been . getting a lot of disagreement from the , farmers, for at first the price of 117s .- 3d per cwt for their produce was . lower than the price they would get in ; London, but the London price had since .fallen 13s below that figure, and they < were quiet now. (Laughter.) 'The Government, said Mr. Nash, could only distribute what was being ■ produced in the country. Unless the • man who was workingprodu'eed more ; the Government could, not distribute vinorer-: .The success of ahy Government /rested- on the workers, and ho Governfment could do anything unless the • workers were working. The feeling of the country was now more favourable to Labour than it had ever been before, said Mr. Nash. The Labour Party was not out to wreck the country, but to build it up. The" standard of living and the possibilities of good living were greater in New Zealand than in any other country in the world, and the present Government was out to make the country even bet- : ter. New Zealand had the climate ' and everything else in its favour. He • was going to tell the people of Great • Britain that, and he was also going to tell them that they consumed half a pound of butter per head per week, as against-three-quarters of a pound in New Zealand. The consumption could surely be increased. Ninety per cent, of New Zealand's produce went overseas to Britain, and. if Britain took more, New Zealand, as •far as the Government could pledge. f Would take more of Britain's goods. ■He did not propose this to the detriL merit of New Zealand's manufactures, but this country had never been able to produce enough clothing, electrical goods, and cultural things for its own requirements. New Zealand could not consume all that it produced in the way of dairy produce. SIGNIFICANCE OP LEGISLATION. Although New Zealand was only a small area, said Mr. Nash, the people ■ did not realise sufficiently the significance of all the new legislation. Mr. John Morgan, agricultural editor of the London "Daily Herald," had told him after travelling through the country that he had obtained the reactions of all the classes to the Labour Government, and that there was still room for improvement in the attitude of industrial workers to the Government. He had said that if the Labour Party was.successful with its legislation, and won the support of the people for a second time, a Labour Government ■.would be elected in Britain at the next elections. (Applause.) ■ No other country in the .British. Commonwealth of Nations was having so much said and written about it as New Zealand at the. present time. With more successes of Labour Governments there could be built up a system of government never known before in the British Empire. Mr. Nash returned thanks for the gifts given to Mrs. Nash and himself, and said that when he returned he hoped he would be able to tell them something of his experiences overseas. The first part of the evening was taken up with musical and other items. Mrs. M. Dowse, president of the Hutt Valley women's branch of the Labour Party, was on the platform. Supper was served, and the evening concluded with dancing.