THAT SCHEME.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10740, 10 November 1928, Page 5

THAT SCHEME.

' UNITEDS’ .POLICY. ' “A FEW PLATITUDES STRUNG TOGETHER,” PERTINENT QUESTIONS FOR SIR JOSEPH WARD. (Special to the Times.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 8. In'" the"course of his big' Town Hall meeting to-night, the Prime Minister analysed the platform of. the United Party, and said its main plankg were the borrowing of £60,000,000 for advances to settlers and workers andl £10,000,000 for railway construction. They said they; would reduce income tax and the Customs taxes; they would pay subsidies to assist local industries j they would provide a cheap loaf; arid they would adopt preferential voting. “And don’t forget,” the Prime Minister said, < ‘they ape going' to do all this without adding a penny piece to taxation. How do they propose to find the £5 they wall lose on every £IOO they borrow, for they are going to raise the money at £95 at •4J per cent. ? The next point is how do they propose to bring the money into New Zealand? If they firing it in goods, then those goods will affect our local industries and, if it is in gold, then the primary producer will have to pay for it. He is the only exporter. The Prime Minister said that the effect of borrowing £60,000,000 in ten years would : be to increase the price of land. The Government’s policy had been to bring the price o* land down to a level in keeping with the price of our produce overseas and to maintain stablity, (Applause.) • If the people were told that \vhat was wanted was more money, he would agree, hut, as to the method of obtaining it, there were differences of opinion. As to the proposal of Sir Joseph Ward to allocate £10,000,000 for the completion of railroads, it was, indeed, extraordinary how the ears of the people could be tickled by a few platitudes strung together. (Hear, hear.) Had the leader of the United Party, its chairman, or any member of it explained how it was proposed to spend that money? Had any indication, been given as to the lines which would be completed ? The most intelligent. remark that had ■been made was that they would build no more branch lines. How many branch lines are being built to-day? demanded the Premier. Does the public of this country know the programme that has been laid down for the development of the railways ? The first statement I made after becoming Minister of Public Works was that we should get down te a concentration policy. We have done it. (Applause.) We have filled in the gaps and are steadily prosecuting the completion of our main lines, which are under attention at present—the North Auckland, Gisborne, the Stratford, the .Inangahua, and the Midland lines. “How do the United Party propose to complete these lines ?’-’ the Prime Minister asked. “All they say is they will spend £10,000,000 in three years.” A Voice: “Fifteen shillings a day.” The Prime Minister: “The men at work on these railways are earning / more than 15s a day. It was not only % physical impossibility to complete the railways in three years,” the Prime Minister continued, “but even, if they were completed in that time, the economic effect on the country would be disastrous. The cost ‘of construction had been reduced by about 50 per cent. The men on the work would be kept on if the Government’s policy was maintained.” (Applause.) "“In regard to the development of the country,” said Mr Coatesy “it is imagined by a number pf peooie tlyit £10,000.000 is all that is necessary to push on with the various •projects. But let me' tell you that you require between seven and eight million pounds for hydro-electric schemes alone. “Everybody interested in the country,” said Mr Coates, “must know r of the big projects which were being carried out. The United Party had overlooked that the Government had also to build public schools, both primary and secondary. Again, they' had omitted the public hospitals. The United Party; had given no indication to the country how they., proposed to develop the country step by step.’ The'mere fact of stating that they proposed to borrow £10,900,000 to build the railways did not touch the subject.”

WHICH IS RIGHTS

MR. COATES ON LABOR’S DOUBLE DEAL

(Special To The Times). . WELLINGTON, Nov. 8.. Discussing the Labor Party at his Town Hall meeting, the Prime Minister emphasised 1 Mr H. E, Holland's association with the extreme section of the movement. Turning to an analysis of the two platforms of the Labor Party, he said: “There is the one they presented to the public and the other to which the official candidates of the Labor Party subscribed.'The Labor-Socialist party is ashamed of its platform .or is it that it is proud of its manifesto?” asked the Prime Minister. “Do they stand by the manifesto, or do they stand by the platform ? Which is right and which - is wrong? That is the question. I put it to all the Labor candidates—What does that manifesto mean? Is it just a shaving off of the platform? A Voice: Quite right; that is what it is. A reference to Australia produced an interjection, “Leave Australia alone; stick to New Zealand.” The Prime Minister: “I am not the first to go to Australia. Mr. Holland was there in 1921 at. that Labor conference.” (Applause.)