THE GOVERNMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 107, 2 November 1937, Page 7

THE GOVERNMENT

POLICY CRITICISED

ADDRESS BY MR. H.F.

TOOGOOD

TAXES AND PROMISES

Various aspects1 of the Labour Government and the political situation as he sees it were examined by Mr. H. F. Toogood in an address-given by him under the : auspjecs of: the National Party in the Oddfellows' Hall, Clyde Quay, last night. The: hall was well filled, and some people stood at the rear. The meeting had its lively moments, but the interjections which at times punctuated the speaker's remarKs and ready retorts gaye it an entertainment value apart from. purely politi- ' cal considerations.. Although there wa'j no lack of interjections, it was also obvious when a vote of thanks to Mr. Toogood was proposed at the end, of his address, that he ; had many support/ers among the audience;-' "■ •. ■■ ■ ■ ■ .; Mr. H; R. Ssarle, -who presided, stated that Mr. Toogood was deputising for Mr. J. Hargsst, M.P. for Awarua, at very short notice.' . In politics at the present time, said Mr. Toogood, there were two parties which were diametrically1 opposed, in their political, outlook, principles,-;and economic ideas. New Zealand was now enjoying a respite of prosperity. Ha did not desire to take one atom >ol credit for that return from the Government, but he thought the Government might be overclaiming credit in this respect. The. Hon. Walter Nash contended that to a major extent the return to prosperity had been due to th» legislation of the'last year, but a professor of economics had given a, counter-opinion. The professor said that 'the expansion of income was due to the recovery of export values, and that very little was due to the action j of the Government in the manner Mr; Nash claimed. During the-trough of the depression, 1931-32, New Zealand's export values were £35,000,000 of' money, whereas in the last year they were almost double, £64,000,000. WAGES AND PURCHASING POWER. Another factor in the present period of prosperity, was made clear in the. Budget. Mr. Nash contended that the test was the real purchasing power of the money received. Mr. Nash said the purchasing power in New, Zealand as expressed in wages had .increased by 9 per cent. , That was to say, the workers' wages were better to the extent of only 9 per cent., although many had enjoyed wages that had increased from 10, 20, 30, and in some cases lip; to 50 per cent. Yet the, total result had; been an increase in purchasing'power of only 9 per cent.' The attainment of the additional 9 per cent, had been followed by certain repercussions. Therewas a higher wages bill to meet, there; had been greater abstraction from the wages 'bill,- and shorter hours were being worked, and in consequence ■ there had been a definite reduction in.. industry. For- some time there had: been a denial that the boot industry' was not affected, but it had since ,been made manifest that it was. He was as--sured from a very reliable source thatthe process of stocking up' for- ,'.th»'Christmas trade was holding the clothing industry together, andthat it would collapse after the New Year. _ Mr. Toogood claimed that the .real rise on prices as a result of the labour condi-. tions in this country had not yet taken place to the full extent, .and that it-; would come when stocks had to be re=plenished. It. wa* just as well for the > workers to (I tak£.he3d of what was gov ing on. , .V-.•'•■'■■' •■'■-■•/.■ -■ ■'■'•■-"■■.• ..; Mr Toogood; proceeded to deal fur» : ther with the effects of the new labour; conditions in various avenues of em-; ployment, and iin doing so was sut>mitted to a number of interjections. "You can't kid to the workers any longer. They are too wide awake, shouted one man. r .' , ... Mr. Toogood replied that he was glad : to know that they were waking up and were not going' to tolerate those who had led them by the nose. - .. - "Are we getting better production, and services?" Mr. Toogood asked. ' If we don't get these better services,and , more production, the Government - : of today is insecure. That is the advice offered to us. We say we are not getting more- services and better produc tion. That is why we say the Government is insecure." NO TAXATION RELIEF. Dsepite the return to prosperity ths people of New Zealand were the high-. est taxed community in the British Empire, Mr. Toogood continued. What did it mean to the workers? Whatever way the tax was levied, Mr. Savage had said, it must come from th« incomes of the people The first tax the Government could, have taken off was the sales tax, which was most irri. tating to everybody. But, no,,the Government wanted the money to squan. der The National Party did not wish to take out of the pockets of.the people, one penny more than was required for the services to which the Government WA vote™ When are you coming up Wellington South? We are waiting for y°lt"was not a question of who put th« taxes on but who promised to take hem off,'said Mr. Toogood Thepeople demanded that political promises Sid be kept, and that they should not'be hoodwinked at election time. A voice: The people didn't take any notice of promises; they just wanted a change of Government. Mr Toogood: I quite agree with you. but they are certainly going to takanotice of promises this tune. . . • You Deople yourselves are going to kill th« present Government, and they know it That is their greatest fear. SOCIALISM v. INDIVIDUALISM. The present Government had something to answer for to the people tor Party stood for individual effort and competition, and believed in individual and voluntary savings. ToJ, believe m tion of Socialism must lead to absolute and complete stagnation. Or^ the other hand, individualism was dynamic ma r«-nerp<;<;ive The National Party Delieved gtha St Vsaving was an essential factor in economic life. A voice: You are only a scaremonger an MraToogood: Well/l don't think you are more than a scarecrow. (Laughter had replied ,« seveial questions, ■ Mr. T. Forsytti moved a hearty vote of thanks. Someone at the back of the hall moved an amendment of no confidence in the National Party but it not put to the meeting. Instead Mr. Toogood quickly moved that the .meeting had every confidence in the National ' Party, and this drew applause and some cheering. ' ' X ' '.' .'..,', ;