DUNEDIN WEST ELECTORATE

Evening Star, Issue 18119, 8 November 1922, Page 2

DUNEDIN WEST ELECTORATE

MR MOSS, LABOR. Air O.: M. Moss, tho Labor candidate for Dunedin West, opened Lis campaign last evening, when ho addressed a meeting in Smith’s Hall, Hanover street. Cr Hayward occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the speaker. The candidate, who was well received, said that he felt like David going out to meet Goliath. lie had to meet a Cabinet Minister, a man who was. well known in the community, ■ and who had rendered soma good service. To day throughout tho world there were two distinct sections of society—one working for what was called free industry, in other words, for the right to run industry freely and unrestrictedly; and the other section the Labor Party, which contended that the people themselves had the right either to control or own industry. The Labor Party stood for tho ownership of public utilities. He intended to divide his addresses into three parts: (1) What tho Massey Government had done; *(2) what the Labor Party intended to do; and (3) how it iiir tended to got money to put its platform into operation.

' THE INTERESTS QF HUMANITY

To-day the country was in a state of. financial stringency. By that ho meant that there was an abundance p{ money or securities in the country, but the persons controlling that money were holding it up for specific purposes, because if it were put into circulation to-day for the furthering of production it would have a tendency to destroy some of the so-called money. It existed only as a mass of figures brought about by the war nod by tho operation of certain acts on the Statute Book; but among its results had been the high cost of living and unemployment, and it had therefore been disastrous for tho country, because to-day they had extreme poverty in this new country—state of affairs that should be impossible of existence. There should not bo one person unemployed. The speaker said he wished to emphasise tho fact that there was money in tho country. He quoted from the speech of Mr Jones (Kaiapoi) in moving tho Atldress-iii-Reply, which showed that while in 1911 wo had 82 per cent, of our total debt in Great Britain, to-day there was only 46 per cent, of it outside the dominion. These figures also showed that in tho last ten years we had borrowed £92,000,000 in Lew Zealand, and more than' half our total debt was owed to tho people of New Zealand, whose total wealth had increased by £231,000,000 in tho last seven years. In spite of that fact, continued the speaker,, we found tho people starving for want of food. That sort of thing was a disgrace to the country, and it could only be prevented by sending to Parliament men who had the' interests of humanity at heart, and not tho interests of finance. (Applause.) THE HOUSING ACT.

Mr Massey in the House had applied for authority to spend £2,250,000 per annum in the erection of houses. During tho last three years 340 houses had been built under the Housing Act, at a total cost of £409,000, or an average of about £1,200 per house. In his speech at Pukekohe, Mr Massey had said that 7,000 houses had been built during the last three years. That was quite contrary to fact. Under tho Housing Act 540 houses had been erected, and 270 under the Advances to Workers Act. Tho money adtvanced under tho latter method 1 had more or less been used for tho purchase of bouses by ono person from another, and instead of having a tendency to bring down the price of houses and rents it had had a tendency to increase the value of houses. By the proper administration of the xkdvances to Workers Act tho value of house property and rentals could bo reduced. Ho quite understood that theio was a section of tho community which would oppose tho building of houses today —those who derived) their interest from the money invested in houses; but tho Labor Party looked at tho matter from tho point of view of tho people. (Applause.) , OPENING UP OF LAND.

' What had happened in connection with the opening up of land suitable for that purpose? Ho would toll them. What had actually taken place was that the Government had advanced money to returned soldiers 311 d' other persons, and the same thing had happened as had occurred in connection with houses —the farms had been transferred from one person to another. But that was not the only danger arising from the land; production was decreased, and to-day production was one of the things that was most .required. It was only by developing the land that they could prosper, ana if production from the land woe not forthcoming it followed that there was no chance 01 such an undertaking as our railways paying. OVER-TAXATION.

They had heard great deal about people being over-taxed. There was a section of the people which was overtaxed, but it was not tno section whioh Mr Massey represented —it was the working section. The workers were being paid wages to-day which were over 20 per cent, lower than in 1914. There might he people who wore paying just taxation on their land, but, generally speaking, the land was not taxed according to the valuation of the owner at the present time. What the Government should do was to say that a person should be taxed on whatever value he placed on his land. UNRESTRICTED COMPETITION. He was one of the Labor 'Party who believed in free and unrestricted competition. and he believed it was the best eventually for the manufacturers and the working classes. To-day they were living in an ago of combines, which were regulating prices to the detriment of the public, with results that were disastrous to both sections alike. What the Government should do was to- place on the Statute Book an Act similar to the Advances to So Were,-Act, which would enable people to borrow money for the establishment of industries—in other words, the State should aid industries, COMBINES. He wished to refer to what in hie mind was some of the finest legislation over placed upon the Statute Book. That was By the Sodden Government. In New Zealand there were State coal mines. Two were now closed, and the mines were used in the past to regulate the price of coal to the people. Some people believed that State utilities should show a big profit. Ho believed that they should not show large profits, but should show sufficientprofit for renewal, depreciation, etc. In the case of State coal mince, it. would bo to the advantage of the country not to make big profits, because the State coal mines only approximately supplied onesixth of the coal used in New Zealand. Naturally, if the State coal . mines made big profits the fivo-sixths privately-owned rmn-es would also make big profits. That was what had taken place with the present Government. It ha-d established State coal mines in that direction. It had reduced returns, but in spite of that fact it had. made largo profits and had allowed the other fellow to make big profits. It had become one combination. There were also insurance—fire, accident, and life—and they bad the admission of tho Hon. Mr Coates that thov met every year, representatives of private insurance companies and fixed the premiums and benefits. In other words, a combine had been formed. They all ought to see- the necessity of' these utilities being run in- the interests- of the people. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. The Labor Party stood for service. They road in their platform one vote one value by Proportional) Representation. Was it necessary they should alter their present method ? Personally. ho believed it was. He believed it was because tho method at the present time was a most unsafe one. They had a minority of the people, ruling the country, in spite of the wishes of the people of the country. Ho believed that safe government was ensured by all sections being represented. Parliament should be as a mirror reflecting the wishes of the people, and ho believed the plank in the Labor Party’s platform was necessary. Mr Massey was in pwe».r, ropro

seating 51 per cent, of the people of this country', and 49 per cent, was not represented at all. He thought these should have some representation. It was in the best interests of the country that they should bo represented, and it was only through Proportional Representation that that could be brought about. LABOR’S PLATFORM.

The Labor Party stood for tho conservation of land endowment. There should be no trafficking in land. As to State ownership, the party stood. for this in relation t-o farms and shipping. A ra-osu vital question was that of defence, and the Labor Party, recognised the necessity for this, in spite of the. Press or any person trying to create a different opinion. Every sensible man recognised the necessity of defence. Tho party recognised it, but was absolutely against compulsory military training in times of peace. Iho party stood to repeal the provisions in the War Regulations that interfered with civil and industrial principles. The passing of the Military Service Act by tho .Massey. Government was the blackest piece of legislation that was ever brought into force in this country. (Applause.) It was neither more nor less than taking advantage of a lack of .knowledge of the military system in this country. It had led people to believe that tho Government had tho power to conscript people in this country an-d send them away to the war. It had no such power. He wanted them to understand that the Labor Party stood against trickery of that kind. There wove many wavs in which the men- were tricked in the war; but tho Labor Party recognised that all laws framed in connection with defence should bo so plain that everyone would understand them. The party stood) for the repeal of the Defence Act and the Military Service Act. (Applause.) CONCLUSION. How was the Labor Party going to find tho money to put its platform mto operation? First and foremost, the money could be borrowed in the country itaeff, and secondly the Labor Party stood for legislation which would 1 compel those possessing wealth to use it to the best advantage. If' it was right to conscript men, as bad been done by the present Government, it was also right to conscript money. Mr Massey had said that he would compel people to subscribe to his Victory Loan ; but the only difference between Sir Massey and the Labor Party was that the Label' Party would do it and Mr Massey hadnever intended to do it. He wanted to say positively that they did not stand for tho confiscation of wealth, because as intelligent men they knew it was not necessary- The Labor Party would raise the money which it required l by two methods —namely, by taxation and by borrowing. If tho Massey Government were returned to power there would he more, cuts in wages and more depression and unemployment; and while he was opposed to strikes, there wore times when men were forced to go on strike, not by Labor agitators, but by tho financial institutions of the country.' Tho method of the Labor Party im striking a levy was the fairest method, and he wanted to see a strong Labor Party returned 1 and the people of Dunedin West doing their best to forward tho Labor Party. ‘ The salvation of the country lay with the Labor Party, and ho trusted people would follow the principles for which the party stood and analyse those principles, and not bo sidetracked by petty ideas, because principle counted first. (Loud applause.) QUESTION.

In answer to a question Mr Moss said he was going to vote for Continuance, because if Prohibition was carried it would be more disastrous for the country than Continuance would. Ho would support any temperance measure, hut he could not under the present law vole for Prohibition. VOTE OF CONFIDENCE.

On tho motion of Mr G. Beadle a hearty vote of thanks and confidence in Mr (Moss was carried by acclamation.