WAIPAWA ELECTION

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 11324, 30 September 1930, Page 5

WAIPAWA ELECTION

MR, COATES SPEAKS IN SUPPORT OF MR, TUCKER

TRENCHANT CRITICISM. OF

UNITEDS.

REFORM’S ECONOMIC REMEDIES.

i (Press Association.) TAKA PAIL Sept- 29,

A gathering of over 500 Waipawa, electors assembled to-night to greet the Hon. G. Coates, who spoke in support of Mr. William Tucker, the Reform candidate. Mr. Norman M. Gaulsen presided. A rousing reception was acorded Mr. Coates and Mr. Tucker, and it was a wonderfully enthusiastic meeting. Referring to unemployment, Mr. Coates said that the policies of the two parties were widely divergent. Unless a strong policy were adopted, tlie question, instead of being solved, would be aggravated. There could be no compromise on principles. The amount paid for unemployment work in 1928 grew from £450,000 to £1,500,000 in 7930, while the registered unemployed grew from 2300 to 5000 in July last. The figures themselves afforded uncontrovertible evidence of the failure of the Government’s policy. The Reform policy in regard to wages was to pay a man what lie earned and pay unemployed less than standard rates on relief works. To decrease unemployment there was need to eliminate tlie real causes, not to add to the burdens of the farmers and the industrialists by increased taxation- ■ By stimulating the primary and secondary pursuits they would be enabled to absorb available labour on a commercial basis. The difference between the cost of production and the selling price was out of all proportion. They had been forced by world conditions into a position where a continuation of the present basis was impossible. Referring to defence, Air. Coates said that compulsory defence was adopted by New Zealand on the advice of the best militaiy opinion of the Empire. It had replaced a voluntary system which no .longer was adequate to meet tlie needs of the modern military system. Reform had always stood for an adequate system of defence and was utterly opposed to a policy of leaving no system of defence, either in embryo or in being. Amendments and improvements were necessary and reduction in the cost was possible, but Reform was adverse to the destruction of compulsion till a sufficient substitute was provided. Referring to the United manifesto and tlie proposal to borrow seventy millions, Air. Coates contended that tlie people had been misled- Tlie Kirikopunui railway had been made much of by the United candidate because it was bis (Air. Coates’) electorate, despite ihe fact that the railway oiionod up first class undeveloped land. The Ime had cost £29.000 a mile compared with the EskdnleGisborne line at £40,000 a mile.

In regard to lailways management. Air. Coates, replying to criticism of Mr. Sterling’s engagement, said it was unfair criticism and in proposing a directorate he did not intend the deposition of the general manager. He was confident it was the only logical solution to save the railways. Replying to AU\ -Jull’s statements on tho workshops, Air. Coates said the real position, as disclosed by the railways statement, was that_ when the original designs and estimates were made provision was not made foi electrification- The need for the shops was recommended by the Raven Commission. They were to cost £2,298,000. minus the value of the land occupied by the old shops. The Reform party recognised that it was not possible to deal with mass production, reduce the cost of repairs and give better working conditions without new workshops. The ammunition contract, Air. Coates said, was essential to the country, which had not been found wanting. The only ammunition the Expeditionary force got on leaving, was Dominion-made. Speaking from memory, two million rounds were fired under the territorial system. The contract was placed to get reserve ammunition as in England an emergency had arisen. The contract had been approved by Mr. Atmore- Air. Forbes, Sir T. Wilford. and many other Uniteds. Nothing relating to the contract was hidden ; everything was above board.

As to unemployment, never under any other party had higher wages been paid than under Reform. There was not any alternative to borrowing money. The people of the Dominion should face the position. The Bill had been brought down hv the Unit-' eds at the behest of the Labour party and not >v the Reformers. Air Coates did not think tho sustenance allowance should he considered anything hut a dole hut the Bill to-day was better than the one wanted by Labour.

The petrol tax amendment of twopence reduction was moved by Air. Forbes and not by Reform. He thought Mr. dul was facing two ways. The last one to say such n thing was a ratepayers’ representative on the Highways Board like Air .full, who stood charged with allowing tho Government to steal money from small and large settlers who had been paid for the last 40 years as of right. Air. -Tull had let the ratepayers down in their hour of trial. (Applause). As to relief works Air. Coates contended that was wrong in principle to pay unemployed relief workers the standard wages. They could not blame farm. workers for leaving to accept fourteen shillings. He favored employing men on suitable lands rather than on railway works. He contended that the real remedy for unemployment was to enable private enterprise to :e-absorb unemployed in industry by reducing overhead costs of production and increasing output- He would ask the electors to judge which, of the two parties possessed broad principles of policy and bad the true welfare of the country at heart by taking a broad national view. ' '

A. vote of thanks to Air. Coates and Air. Tucker and confidence in Ah. Tucker as candidate and confidence in Air. Coates as leader of the Reform Party was carried.