RIDICULOUS CLAIM

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 81, 3 October 1938, Page 6

RIDICULOUS CLAIM

LABOUR AND SEDDON

MR. BARKER AT LEVIN

f An audience that. filled the Century "Hall, Levin, to overflowing,greeted Mr., ■*W. L. Barker on Saturday evening,, ..when he delivered an address on be<,half of the National Party. Before introducing the speaker, the chairman, Dr. L. J. Hunter, briefly bu'c : feelingly referred to the world crisis of the past week and at. the close of his remarks those assembled rose aad , gave- three rousing cheers for J&r. . Neville Chamberlain. ;.-■..■ On- rasing to speak Mr. Barker' }was .. greeted'with- the singing of "For' He's a Jolly Good Fellow" and prolonged , ..applatise. : w The Labour Party's claim to.be following in the footsteps of Seddo:h. was ..'ridiculous-, said Mr. Barker, becriuse if was anything lie was a a individualist;: a humanitarian individualist, J?to the backbone. Socialism was the negation of. individual effort, Britons stood for freedom rind the National Party would' see {hat that freedom< remained. Socialism meant the slavery, of the individual. What' freedom could there be in. a country 'when an independent tribunal set up by the.Government came to> the unanimous conclusion that a rise of twopence. a ; ltr. for butterfat wjas fair and just, yet the Minister—he> would say dictator —ignored the findings and arbitrarily fixed the rise at less than l£d. Did- not the Hon. F,^. Semple. inform all the men on public works that if they, dared to, strike t'ft>£y would get the "boot" and also be denied susten- ■ ance?. "Men: in industr:/ go on strike against an agreed award of the Arbitration^ Court and what continued Mn. Barker.' "The Minister of Labour rushes up to. Auckland and j the employers? are: forced to agree to, the new demands. -A.nd do not forget that all; these increasjes are passed on to therconsumer. He /always has to pay in the end." /' i fr HOUSING 3POLICY. ■>»'■ Mrs. Barker criticised the Governrf^mentsT housing- policy. In* 1927-28, he -said, 14,000 houses' were erected in :;New. Zealand. Mr.i/Nash had said that •■■:; the States housing scheme employed -5000 men directljy and another 5000 Amen indirectly, jln 1937-38 less than houses had ■ been completed. If ~> private enterprise had had charge of key. industry, more than 10,000 •-'houses, would- hctve been built, employing 10,000. men. directly and a further ■-■10,000. indirectlj/-.. ;>' Eeferring; to the Budget, Mr. Barker iC asserted., that j/uggling had taken place . H ;in order to., produce a balance on the ~."right, side of: about £50,000. When .."straightened out, there was actually a •."deficit runni?ag into seven figures. ,;, Mr. L. H. Best proposed a hearty ,;,vote of .thajjiks to Mr. Barker, and an j.! expressioiir-rof complete confidence in " v the Nation rjil Party. This was seconded r.by Mr. Jv ; D. Brown and carried amid ."tumultuous applause. The sinip'ng of the National Anthem and nearly cheers for the King concluded the meeting.