ELECTION CAMPAIGN NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 66, 15 September 1943, Page 6

ELECTION CAMPAIGN NOTES

Radio Licence Fees,

Referring to the discussion on radio licence fees, Mr. A. H. (Carman, Independent candidate for Wellington North, said that it was not bo much a question of whether 10s or 25s should be the annual fee, but as to whether there need be any fee at all. The total amount collected last financial year was £549,423, of which only £231,047 was spent, and there was a credit balance in the account now of £1,180,000. The National Party advocated reducing the fee, but Mr. Carman said that, considering the expense involved in collection, bookkeeping, and inspecting, it would surely prove more economic to abolish at least this one licence fee and pay for radio out of general revenue.

Mr. Nash and Washington,

"When he is defeated for Hutt, Mr. Nash will still be able to go to Washington if the country as a whole wishes him to go," stated Mr. J. Hogan, Independent, Hutt, at a Petone meeting. "But he will go as an Ambassador, not as Finance Minister with the power to commit the country and a responsibility left behind."

Apples as Exhibits.

A variety of apple for which he had paid 5d per lb was used by the National candidate for Wellington West (Mr. C. M. Bowden) to illustrate a point made by him in his address at Aro Street. f'These little apples," he said, cutting one open to show the audience that it was clean, sound, edible fruit, "are some of the smallest size, 315 to the case, which the I.M.D. refused to purchase when the crop was gathered. As a result, thousands of cases were fed to the pigs, and today the country would be glad to have them available."

"A Public Scandal."

"The serious muddle disclosed by the Auditor-General's report in regard to the public accounts of this country is a public scandal," said Mr. W. Appleton, National candidate for Wellington Central. "There is no more damning indictment against any Government than this report. It is simply startling." After quoting from the Auditor-General's comments dealing with the system of stores accounting in the services, Mr. Appleton said that the report reflected a lack of capacity and lack of policy in the administration of the forces by the Labour Government. What was particularly disturbing was the complacent attitude that had been taken by the Government in respect to the unsatisfactory state of affairs the report disclosed.

Figures and Figuring,

"If Mr. Appleton doesn't know better than this he should leave /figures alone, and if he does know better then he should still leave them alone," said the Minister of National Service (Mr. McLagan), when replying at Northland last night to a reference to dairy production by the National Party date for Wellington Central. Far from showing a decrease, he said, dairy production in the 1940-41 season had increased by 8.81 per cent, over the previous season.

Worse Than In 1066.

'"The Norman Conquest' of Mr. Nash when he borrowed the £17,000,----000 from England in 1939 was more disastrous to us than to the Anglo-Saxons of 1066," said Private Teece in Island Bay last night. "That loan has to be repaid when other big loans fall due, and I have no doubt that Mr. Nash hopes, and knows, that at least he won't be Minister of Finance when that time comes, and so he talks about having a £5,000,000 surplus after he has borrowed about £ 100,000,000 a year. He hopes to return to power as the greatest financial wizard New Zealand has seen, but I know a day of reckoning is coming, and if we don't ruthlessly sweep aside orthodox finance, a revolution in this fair land is unavoidable."

Control of Parliament

"If Parliament is to be the voice of the people, the servant of the people, we must get back to the old idea that our representatives in Parliament shall be responsible primarily to their constituents and not to vested interests, party cliques, or sectional views," said Mr. A. H. Carman (Independent, Wellington North) at his meeting in St. Peter's Church Hall last night. "The sooner the electors are brought to realise that in their hands lies the control of Parliament, that they should insist on their representatives being, in fact, their representatives, returning to them every month or so to account for their actions and seek their wishes, the better it will be for this country." Three Enemies.

Referring to the gallantry of New Zealandern in the Middle East and expressing hopes of their early return to New Zealand, Mr. S. McDougall, Democratic Labour, Wellington West, said at Brooklyn that we now have three enemies to fight—Hitler, Japan, and money power, and just as our boys had been so vital in action as a spearhead against the enemy in Africa, he hoped they would act as a spearhead in their own land against the crushing effect of money power wrongly wielded.

Sabotage?

"There are also people in Government departments who are not Labour and who are sabotaging our effort. They cannot always be civil to the public. When they are engaged, we know nothing of their politics, but we know them and are watching them. Where we find this, these people will find a job with some other employer." —Mrs. Dreaver (Labour, Waitemata) in a broadcast address.

Doctors and Their Fees.

"The doctors, particularly the 8.M.A.. have not played the game," said Mrs. Dreaver (Labour, Waitemata),in a recent address. "We did not think they were going to charge 10s for every visit. They should be giving the service free. If the Government is going to allow this, then the Government will have to pay the extra 2s 6d. The people should not have to pay it. The doctors are doing

well, for now.they have no unpaid bills. I am glad we can get taxation from them now, as before they evaded it. Unfortunately, there are a few doctors who are keen on anti-Labour politics. They are ruling the B.M.A. and keeping from us the co-operation we should have. Many doctors will tell you that the1 Auckland Hospital is full. If they were to mark your application 'Urgent,' you would be admitted, but instead they send you ,to private hospitals. It is a racket. The only way to get at these people is to bring all hospitals, public and private, under social security. This will be done by the Labour Government."

"A Different Government."

Answering a question regarding supporting a Labour Government, Mr. J. Hogan, Independent, Hutt, at the King George Theatre declared: "It will be a very different Government when we have got rid of Mr. Fraser and Mr. Nash."

"Penitence Bench."

"Not a platform but a penitence bench," was how Mr. A. McLagan described the National ■Party's policy when speaking at Northland last night. Mr McLagan said that the Nationalists were appealing to the electors to forget the bad things done in the past and concentrate on the good things which the party promised to do in the future.

Control of M.P.S.

"You must do something about your M.P.s," said Mr. H. E. Herring, Democratic Labour candidate for Wellington North, at the meeting at the Thorndon School. "It is no good going on electing them for three years and having them extending their life ad lib. Yours is the task of controlling them, but I Suggest that they take an individual oath in addition to the statutory one, to the effect that under no . circumstances will they be a party to extension. The Labour Party used to talk about the recall, but now are significantly quiet. I don't claim infallibility for this method, however, and leave the problem with you to think over. It is entirely your funeral."