AGAINST SOCIALISM

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 76, 27 September 1938, Page 18

AGAINST SOCIALISM

MR. WRIGHT'S VIEWS

MEETING AT KELBURN

Declaring himself opposed to Socialism and consequently opposed to the Labour Government, Mr. R. A. Wright,' Independent candidate for Wellington West, told electors at Kelburn last night that he would support the National Party as long as that party did not bring in legislation detrimental to city interests. The meeting, which was held in the Tea Kiosk, was attended by about eighty electors and Mr. Wright, received an attentive hearing. Mr. H. B Burdekin. presided.

Mr. Wright said he had met many people who said they never expected the Government would do what it had done, but the Government had only done what the party had said it would do. Others had voted on personal grounds, but while a Socialist might be a fine man he had to do what the majority of the party wanted. No matter how the individual might object, if a measure had the approval of caucus every member of: the party had to support it. ; ; ,

The Labour Party was going in one direction, Mr. Wright said, and in one direction only. There were members of the party who could mix with all classes of society arid win confidences, but the individual was only a cog in the machine and it was a mistake to vote, for the man without y: considering the objective of the pai^y:. The Socialists had captured the Government of New Zealand and they were doing everything possible to retain tbfeir grip. They were using broadcasting in a; most unfair way. Two men who always voted with the Government were given the right to speak over the air as Independents.

At the last election the Labour Party had said that the farmers were to receive a guaranteed price for produce arid any extra profits were to be put on one side to meet future losses, but that had not been done.

INCREASING DEBT.

In three years the Government had borrowed £45,000,000 and most of this money had been spent on unproductive works. The work being done might be good but could the country afford it? The taxpayers were taxed to the limit and could not carry any more to meet borrowing debts. Money was being lost on the railways and more money was being spent to build new lines that would be a liability. Experts declared that the railway between Christchurch and Blenheim would not pay operating expenses. An ironworks had been launched by the Government" and £5,000,000 had been voted for that. Public works expenditure had increased and the country could not continue to carry it. The unemployment problem had been solved in a way but it was not a permanent way. The Government Party had always had the socialisation of the means of production, distribution, and exchange as its watchword,. and the -.means of production were the land and the mines. The Government had pledged itself to socialisation but it had discovered that to take the land would be unpopular and they were "softpedalling." However, if members of the party.did not do as those behind them directed they would be driven out of the party. In 1925 the Labour Party had adopted the usehold policy py which the Government was to acquire all of the land eventually, but it lost ground on that and had dropped it. How would the Government socialise the land? Mr: Wright asked. To buy. all of the land in New Zealand was out of the question, but taxation could be imposed to such.an extent that thei individual could not afford to hold on. The Prime Minister had said the Government had only just begun to i carry out its programme. What did that mean? All of the legislation that had been passed was designed to bring about eventual socialisation. It was a fair deduction to say that any Socialist Government would work for eventual-control of land and industry, Mr. Wright said, and the Government had declared its socialistic intentions. The Minister of Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone) had said no one should have the freehold of land because ownership only induced speculation. Mr. Langstone believed the State should own all land and that those who wanted to use it.should lease it.

FOR PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.

"'I stand for private enterprise as against State control," Mr Wright said. 'P?he argument is used that we have a certain amount of State control already; the Public Trust, the State Fire, the State Advances Corporation; but they are not monopolies. They are simply institutions that are competing with other private institutions, but the Government's idea is to take over everything "

Mr. Wright concluded by saying that private enterprise had made New Zealand what it was. today, and no Utopian policy could do as well. Wherever anything of that kind had been tried it had been an absolute failure. The country could not go on as it was going without something happening. Slumps had occurred in New Zealand when all primary products fell in value at the same time, and they would occur again if New Zealand continued to depend on overseas markets. If another slump came how. could the country bear

the increased. taxation that was being placed on the people?

! Replying to questions, Mr. Wright said he was in favour of .freehold homes built with; State assistance, but he was not in favour of the State renting | homes. If the State owned all the homes the tenants could ask for lower rents and the Government would not dare refuse. '-• '■';.''';.

.■■Mr. Wright said": "No, I would not," •*fi\en he was askefi if he would cut wages ana salaries if another world depression occurred.- •

"If I attach myself to any party it will be the National Party," Mr. Wright 1 said. "Z can't join the Socialist Party." He wished to preserve his independence so that he could vote for the good of his electors, but his vote was usually with the National Party, and so long as they did not want to bring in legislation that, would be detrimental to his electorate he would continue to do so.

A motion of thanks and confidence was carried on the motion of Messrs. W. B. Mcllveney and C. W. Tringham, the vote being unanimous.