LIVELY MEETING

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 144, 21 June 1938, Page 9

LIVELY MEETING

WELLINGTON EAST

NATIONAL CANDIDATE

CAMPAIGN OPENED

Brisk exchanges, interjections, applause, and some personalities were features of a meeting held in the Taia Hall, Kilbirnie, last night to introduce the National candidate, Mr. W. L. Barker, to the electors of Wellington East. The hall was about two-thirds full, and the applause of one faction and the interjections of the other frequently drowned the remarks from the stage.

Mr. D. C. Armstrong presided and introduced the first speaker, Mr. C. H. Weston, K.C., D.5.0., president of the New Zealand National Party.

It was a pleasant privilege as president of the National Party to introduce the candidate for "Wellington East, Mr. Barker, said Mr. Weston. (Applause.) Mr. Barker had been born in the backblocks of New Zealand, and had been forced to fight his own way from boyhood. At 21 he had gone back to college to matriculate, and had gone on \f> university to win his blue as a Bbgby player, and had been the university heavyweight boxing champion. He was also an amateur wrestler. A voice: He might beat Bob on the matMr. Weston went on to say that, with the swing of the political tide, Mr. Barker "might upset Mr. Semple." Cries of "Oh" and counter-applause. GOVERNMENT INCOMPETENT. Mr. Weston said the electors should consider whether or not the Government had proved efficient and competent. He suggested it had been incompetent. The three essentials of life were food, clothing, and shelter. . Voices: What about a few years ago? We have holidays now, too. How had the Government treated those three essentials? Mr. Weston asked. It had raised the cost of all three. To raise the cost was not in the interests of the workers. The Government had been elected by the

labouring classes, but it had raised the , cost of everything those classes needed * most. Voices: They raised wages. Oranges had been dumped at Auckland because the Minister of Marketing had been holding them to keep the prices up. Cries of, "Can you prove that?" Could anyone say the Government's housing scheme was a success? Mr. Weston asked amidst applause and cries of "Come out to Miramar." The Government had doubled the cost of housing, Mr. Weston said.. Mr. Nash had declared that houses would be built for £600, and they were costing £1200. In addition, building per-j mits had decreased. The country was crying out for houses while the production of houses decreased. RISING COSTS. The rising costs had affected New Zealand both externally and internally. New Zealand manufacturers could not compete with manufacturers overseas. A voice: Question! The Government had raised the Tariff to protect the local manufacturers, Mr. Weston said, and that had further increased costs. A voice: Boots are cheaper than ever. ' ' " MTJ 'Weston referred to other aspects of the Government's administration, his remarks on these subjects being reported under separate headings. CANDIDATE'S RECEPTION. Before Mr. Barker addressed the meeting, the chairman appealed to the meeting to give the speaker a fair hearing and was subjected to frequent interruptions while he was doing so. Mr. Barker was received with ap- , plause and his opening remarks provoked further applause and many interjections. . One man had objected to being called a Communst, he said, but did he know what a Communist was? Voices: Do you? Communism was simply following the doctrines of Karl Marx, Mr. Barker said. After further interruptions and some brisk exchanges, Mr. Barker said that he stood for the fundamental principles of British justice. The Labour Party was preaching Socialism and at the game time was preaching democracy. There was a fundamental difference between democracy and Socialism, and the fight in New Zealand was between Socialism and true democracy. There was insidious propaganda going on in order to overthrow democracy and install Socialism so that the leaders of the Socialists could control the wealth of the country. The foundation of a democratic State was the private ownership of property and the right to economic freedom. New Zealand was prosperous because export prices were up, Mr. Barker said. The Government was able to expend money because it had been earned by sweated labour on the farms. Men and women were working sixty and seventy hours a week to make the country prosperous and the Government had no control over the returns from that production. The Government had taken power to Socialise transport and production, (Uproar and many interjections.)

Mr. Barker referred to defence and for some time there was uproar in the hall, interjectors shouting from several parts of the floor. He discussed ■what had happened in Europe, but his remarks were frequently drowned in uproar. Expenditure on public works indicated how far the policy of private enterprise had been reduced, he said. The bigger part of the money being used was borrowed from the Post Office Savings Bank, and if there was a recession in overseas prices the bank would have difficulty in honouring the deposits. The deposits were large because the money could not be used in private enterprise. The Government was turning the country into a nation of navvies and the expenditure could not be allowed to go on; neither could they allow so much money to leave the country.

New Zealand depended on primary production and secondary production, Mr. Barker said, and consequently an expansion of the farm population was needed along with a steady increase in secondary industries. To get that costs must be kept low so that the people and business could have economic security. The Government talked of stability, but there was nothing' stable in life and provision should be made for economic adjustments. . People throughout the country were organising to fight for their freedom, Mr. Barker said in conclusion. The fight was for democracy and the rights of the private individual. At the conclusion of the meeting Mr. Weston and the candidate answered a number of questions. Mr. Weston said the National Party would not do away with commercial broadcasting. A member of the audience moved that the meeting express its complete confidence in the present Government, but the motion was lost. A motion of thanks to the speakers »nd of confidence in the caiiaidate! was carried bx.aixplauso." __..