Greymouth Evening Star. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1943. OTHER MATTERS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 September 1943, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1943. OTHER MATTERS.

issues should decide, in a general election, how votes are best east, and enough has been said and written about these important questions to demonstrate why, for the true welfare of New Zealand, the present Labour Government should be dismissed. The debating honours of the election campaign have gone to the Nationalist candidates, partly because of the strength of the cause. Labour has little to say about its own acts, but dwells on what happened during the world-wide slump, when rhe then Government bad to make the best of a terrible job.. Mr. Holland should not be blamed for any mistakes his Party predecessors made. Labour protests against reminders of the attitude of several members of the present Ministry, during the 1914-18 war. They have seen since the error of their ways: similarly the Nationalists have learned from the experiences of the J 3o’s. All this Labour reference to “soup kitchens and slave camps” .is camouflage to distract attention from the fact that Labour’s policy is tending 1° make the whole Dominion one administrative “slave camp.” with little or nothing the people can call their own, except by grace of State bureaucrats. Those electors who have little inclination to study the major questions in Hie electoral controversy, can find, without difficulty, evidence warranting them to vote, against Labour. Each time the radio is turned on, a reminder is available that rhe Dominion’s broadcasting service is another instance of Government profiteering, the highest license fee in the Empire being charged for one of the weakest services. Moreover, Labour determined that license fees should be paid annually in advance, with no guarantee of refund if the year’s programmes are not required. Another matter affecting the home, and especially the women and children, is Labour’s abolition of the capital penalty, no matter how cold-blooded and cruel a murder may be. Brutes may assault the aged or helpless, but must not, themselves, be whipped, declares Labour. Put all you can in national savings is a patriotic duty, but Labour’s own administrative extravagance is not encouraging. Instances abound of Labour’s generous spending, whether it be for “rest-homes” such as the Legislative Council has become. special appointments for Party stalwarts, (hi* salary paid being more important than I he qualifications, or lor the extravagances covered by the War Expenses Account. These “minor” matters provide, in themselves, enough justification to vole against Labour nominees on Saturday. Labour’s somewhat unscrupulous tactics are seen in the campaign developments where the Civil Service is concerned. Not until polling day drew near, did railwaymen’s protests about hours, wages, and delayed retirements receive any attention. Most State employees have grievances about overtime payments —or, rather, no such payments. —despite Air. Eraser’s promise, two years ago, that the injustice of working for nothing would, be removed. Secondary school teachers, whose applications to have salary increases have been unsuccessful, are told five days before they will exercise their franchise rights, by Air. Fraser, that “he is very keen to see something done.” This sudden benevolence towards State employees should not blind them to Ihe motives behind it, nor should they forget what Mr. Fraser called the “unfortunate ■ utterance” by Airs. Dreavcr, when she referred to possible dismissals of non- : Labour’civil servants.