POLITICAL ISSUES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21756, 4 July 1945, Page 4

POLITICAL ISSUES

Sir, —Your correspondent- “Demos” suggests to the Labour Party 'branch that it should spend the next meeting explaining to the public the reasons for the shortage of electricity and houses and why the Government held up the Waikarembana scheme,-in lDSfi. T may state that- we do-not need -to discuss these matters, as wo- are fully .conversant with them: besides, w'e tiaVe every confidence in the Government,' knowing that it ia doing the best that can be done uritter wartime conditions, The Government would have been at fault if it ihAd gone' orLwith the Waikarembana scheme at that timejjas. in all probability, it would.-have been Just as costly a scheme as -was Arapuui. Which was put into operation by the previous Government. The. Government 1 decided.- kind wisely so, on the Piriparia scheme, -Which was commenced arid- completed ;:'atithe same time the plans for the \Vaikn,rempann scheme were being revised in- an endeavour to have the scheme placed on a spurid'Tobt•(ng. Ikam sure "Demos” will admit it hat, through honouring om--piedges ■ to'J.‘.'<Jfieat 'Britain, there was ■ a definite shortage";'Ot ■mail-power.- As regards housing,- "Demos" is evidently not . aware that, there are.more houses being built in Gisborne‘by private enterprise than there are by the State-Hous-ing Department'and I may 1 state thatuthtey are not - all. for : returnedTneri.'~; ?£he! •Government’s intention of nationalising the airways is, in my opinion, quite justified,, when you consider how many hundred’thousand pounds were spent by the -Government- to build our aerodromes—.“.LAßOUß.” Sir.—lt could not be claimed that “Demos” lias “missed’tlie point,’'’ for-he-is-merely running true to form, endeavouring to turn away the searchlight of exposure bv suggesting that criticism, be .turned in othet* directions instead of "hurling abuse at two limbless' returned .soldiers.”.k'iVThe mfmberlt’bf the Labour; Party did not “hurl <ai>usq” at anyone: those were 'the tactics ‘ indulged in by the .gentleman they criticiscd-’-'affd. -if People deseerid to-that type- of-electionceririg and utter statements whieh ftVeJbOte inaccurate and uiiftth'. 1 . :they must expest-1<? .be.ecriti'cised whether they- be limbless -ot otherwise. If suggesting Mr, Morton is'a dptnediaTf 'ls abuse, other National corresponding-woirid r.ccm to think- an honour-’ -tins'. ixeu "done. The’suggestions VDbmos'i offers are merely : ed-herrings: and.,- although"they bersatisfactorily answered. I suggest be keep- to the point unger /h'sciissiotl' ' "which -'TB";tne ’’bogey” nbvr'beirig”trotted ■ bbt-’-Gverywhrire by the Tories:- '• Since-1917. “BolshevfsmTih'as been their;: pet .theme.; although they, .-were never truthful enough to -use; ths .full-title “The Bolshevik •’Bogey.” ' met hods’they used and the depths to which thr-y xlesceitded •to further 'this 1 propaganda •are’ " i>bW- '-well known. Hitler’s concentration cal»ps.Were common knowledge, but jso long as-;-his;-,Vic-tims were radicals and Jews-he was praised, feted and financed to keep up bis ’dirty work. Late",- the Bolshevik’ bogey had', perforce to-be‘dropped by the Tories-whol-'-foo Wily to be out'-iriario'din-xed, now-brhttf fetth another bogey, this time'National. Socialism, although, they know, as everyone knows,,that (as one correspondent has already” “tlie word socialism was- prostituted’-hy-li-ftler wbo.'lfo gull the-German' werkereyi-AddiiSC it to the. word:‘national’-.” As auyoneyiwhbbfaaa studied Mein Kamnf knows, Hitler j was the exponent of ’iThe. Big'Lie” theory,' .-claiming that, its continual repetition w#B beodfitflnl’to “the • cause.”—-VERA PRO ‘GRATIIS’Ti :y

Sir,—“Demos,’’--iff. rr ICc'ismr.r the rrpm't of (he monthly-meetintyof-thf- Labour Party exhibits great ignorance. No doubt, member.; of thi Labour’ Party rijmfembeml the political propaganda used by the’National Party in the 19118 elections, when the National Party, ‘.issiied pamphlets;’' with terrifying illustrations'and words" to the effect that, if the-Government were returned, the same terrifying things would' l •happen in New 'Zealand- jw-hhd Triippcned'ln •'•Slnvfn: and perhaps they could not help noticing the similarity of propaganda at pyeswit . being spread.' Thank goodness the ' Government, during its 10 years of office. has wisely. It may'.mtbrost .“PdmdfTLla' ikn'ow that the Labour Government stopped l the work at Waiknremoana in 1936 because the lives of the men .working ong the then scheme were endangered. • The shortage houses is due to the maladministration lof former Governments. How rmifly homes were there built between -the years of '1931 to 1935 either by private enterprise ok the State? Does he know that 5500 i returned servicemen are either State tenants or'?in homos built through' advances .from the. Government? “Not Political” and "Returned Soldier” have very ably replied to The. question of military defaulters. : The ‘.State” is justified'in taking’over our air services, ms the State built the aerodromes, pfrkehased the planes and 1 rained the 'pilots. Replying to “Kiwi.” x wish to state that the-only freedom the Government is -interfering! with is the freedom of men to exploit each other and to advise him and his Kiwi friends to interview the local rehabilitation officer. — PAX.

Sir. —I would like to answer "Middle Easter." lam sorry if T htive hurt"his 'feelings. but mv suggestion of ’ fOi—sine- ” R.S.A. of this war was meant for those who w:-e net dnnosed ‘V the Government. .'When a test vote was taken amohgst'"the soldiers 90 per cent of the soldiers were Laibbur. That being - the ease, -T - don’t' tbink '- tlley should be swayed by the. Oppositioti.’ii'l’h'e i d 1 * or sin’s that the present R:S.A. is uqt a political party, but by‘its attitude at present • her - is a doubt. Now “Middle ' Easter.” any man who would, suffer five years ftfnhis Convictions 'in a detention 'camp is -’xio coward.’ You mention their upbringing.-' i. I only know one man who is in the detention camp and .1 will guarantee he has had a good upbringing. I . don’t know who you are, as you did not sign your name to the letter. ’ You say you have friends ’in the non-combatants. So have 1. but’judging by your views. I don't think you have many. ■According to this paper, in England out of ’57.000 original objectors there ni'6’.‘oiily'.'loo in-detention. And in New Zealand out of 2869 we have 683 din'detention. It 'seems to me that those who are the most bittefto the C.O.’s are thorc.who ere tod old for 'military rnrvice. ;lnd some who -ore,pot .fit and aome "ho have money and influence. T was under '.lie impression that in the last waivValso this one. we wore fighting for f reedotTr of conscience and liberty. • I have always done my best to uijllft my fellow man. ' hot to kick him when he was down.'«Being, a Britisher. I believe in -British justicei-Lp. GALLOWAY.