"MISTAKEN POLICY"

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 77, 28 September 1938, Page 21

"MISTAKEN POLICY"

PAST GOVERNMENT

"REMARKABLE ADMISSION"

■"A remarkable admission of the failure of their mistaken policy of the past," was the description applied by the Minister of Ed ication (the Hon. P. Fraser) during his address at Roseneath last evening to the statement of the Leader of the National Party (the Hon. A. Hamilton) that his party, if returned to office, would not reduce wages, salaries, or social services. Mr. J Gibson presided and the audience of about 80 people gave Mr. Fraser an uninterrupted hearing A vote of thanks and confidence was carried almost unanimously.

"I hope Mr. Hamilton will be more explicit on the question," said Mr. Fraser. "Last night at Levin I asked for a further explanation and mentioned that the Press report did not convey exactly the answer to the question that I asked at my first meeting in Wellington Central. I then asked that if a depression period occurred once more, would the National Party prevent the cutting of wages, salaries, and social services. Mr. 'Hamilton's answer is not definite on that point. Of course, it is quite easy to say that the party would not introduce legislation to make those reductions, but I want something more.

1 want a definite assurance that the National Party, if a depression occurred in world prices, would prevent the fall of wages, salaries, and social services. POWER OF THE STATE. j I "That is what the Labour Party has undertaken to do, and we believe it can be done. Our experience of administration bears out and strengthens the belief that the power of the State entrusted to Governments by the will of the people can be used to control credit and productive and distributive forces of the country to such an extent that even if a crisis comes our people will not be sacrificed as they were sacrificed previously. "If Mr. Hamilton means that in a world depression his party would not reduce wages and so on, and means that really and honestly, well, there is no difference between us on that point," remarked Mr. Fraser. "The Labour Party has been a marvellous educator. If th|e Nationalists have now come round to our point of view there is no need for them to oppose us. They should get in behind us. We would be quite prepared to find them a penitent form so that they could confess their economic and political sins and allow them to come in with us." (Laughter.)