LABOR’S POLICY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXII, Issue 10002, 4 May 1925, Page 5

LABOR’S POLICY

MR.. LEE. M.P., AT LIBERTY HALL.

There was a crowded attendance. at Liberty Hall last evening to hear an address hv Air. J. H. Lee, ALP., for Auckland East. Air. J. Perry presided.

> Air. Lee dealt at length with the land policy of the Labor party, which was, he stated, the only party with ■ a land policy. The time had come when it must be made possible for a - farmer to retire otherwise than by selling his land to some other unfortunate at a price far above its i value. There is no reason why a man [ should not get a mortgage on his i land at practically up to its full • value. There was no reason why a man posit oil some land and was immediately at the mercy of the stock and . station agents. Some men in Now Zealand were now paying up to 25 per cent, for all the improvement that they had put on their properties. Opponents admitted that the Labor Party had a good platform, hut they stated that the party had no men who were fitted to take up positions in the . Ministry. As a result of wartime expenditure, the income tax was higher but the incomes were three times the size they were before. The re-arrange-ment c-f taxation meant increased Customs duties failing on the shoulders of the working man. The man who had made no sacrifice during the war had had his taxation reduced, while the working man, who was the greatest loser and liad made the greatest sacrifice of life during the war, was still compelled to pay the greatest price. Some might say it was necessary to reduce the taxation on the large financial institutions to allow them to pay dividends, hut he had figures to show that the banks and insurance companies were making enormous profits. The Bank of New Zea’and ha cl made £2,000 000 profit in 1923. It was supposed to be controlled by the Government, but the Go-' vernment always appointed members to the directorate who were large shareholders. The present Government had made a mess of every policy that they had undertaken. Not enough was spent, on education while huge sums were being expended on a useless territorial system. Alany children were suffering from diseases that could bo prevented if proper attention was paid to school accommodation. Education was not free in N.Z.j the children of the poorer Casses did not receive the same advantages as the children of the rich. H-ow could children and teachers take pride in the hovels and shacks that were in existence in Newi Zealand to-day? A movement was on foot to-day to establish private wards in the nubile hospitals. , Til’s would make special treatment possible for the rich and let the poor get the dregs of the hospital treatment. The maternal rnort alit-y in New Zealand was higher than in over-crowded Britain. The old age nensior.s were not adequate and the Labor party would also establish pens''on s for sickness and accident. Even their opponents adnrtted that the Labor party was becoming a force to be. reckoned with, and nothing could stop them from being, if not the Government at least the Official Onposit’on after the next flection. (Applause). A hearty vote of thanks to the sneaker was passed on the vote of Mr. D. AV. -Coleman.