FIFTEEN CHARGES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12703, 7 November 1935, Page 3

FIFTEEN CHARGES

LABOR’S CASE AGATNST GOVERNMENT. AIR- SAVAGE’S CAMPAIGN. (Press Association. \ WELLINGTON, Nov. 6. In the course of his attack on tho Government at Wellington on Monday evening, Mr M. J. Savage, loader of tho Labor Party, cited the following as “what the Onlitaion Government had done” : (T) It had destroyed the foundation of trado and industry in New Zealand by reducing wages, salaries, and pensions—wage reductions commencing with the charwomen who eloan<ed out public buildings, and extending to all workers in and out of the public service. (2) It had destroyed the usefulness of tho Conciliation and Arbitration system as a means of settling industrial disputes, and safeguarding wages and conditions in industry." (3) It had created an army of unemployed ranging in number from 61,000, immediately after the formation of the Coalition Government, in over 79,000 in 1933—the present mini her being over 68.000. (4) It had destroyed Hie public works policy of the Dominion and discharged thousands of standard-rate workers—"re-employing them on relief rates of pay. (6) It bad destroyed apprenticeship contracts and turned thousands of partly trained apprentices into the street, (6) It had weakened tho education system of the Dominion arid excluded five-year-old children from the schools. (7) It had destroyed the State Advances Department and substituted a semi-privately controlled Mortgage .Corporation which was to be presided over by the managing director of a competitive private lending company. (5) It had introduced a virtual dictatorship. in the primary industries hv the passing of the Agriculture (Emergency Powers) Act, and had instituted the equivalent of a receivership in the cases of farmers who were in financial difficulties liy the passing of the Rural Alorigagors Final Ad" iustment Act, which provided for enforced budgetary conditions in the homes of producers concerned. (10) It bad discharged hundreds of men from public services and, by legislation, had interfered with the superannuation rights of a large, number of those who were dismissed. (11) It had failed to honor its obligations under the Superannuation Act and had postponed consideration of the difficulties arising therefrom until after the general elections. (12) It had extended the life of Parliament from three to four years without consulting tho people—thus striking a blow at Hie foundation of constitutional government. (13) It took power under section 69 of the Finance Act, 1932, to dismiss public servants for making statements calculated to bring the Government into disrepute. (14) It- passed Hie Motor Spirits (Regulation of Prices) Act, 1933. with the. pretence of regulating petrol prices for the benefit of the users and resellers of petrol. It failed to use the law, with the result that resellers are not getting a fair return ; the users are being exploited ; and the wholesale interests are still making exorbitant profits. (15) It passed the Broadcasting Amendment Act 1934-36 which prevented B stations from earning their own revenue for purposes of upkeep, and which would ultimately sfarvo the B stations out of existence if the present Government were returned. Following on the large reductions made in wages and salaries by the Reform Government in 1922, continued Air Savage, the United Government was compelled to introduce the closure for the first, time in the political history of the Dominion in order to pass the Finance Bill which provided for further reductions early in 1931. The closure was again introduced in March, 1932, in order to pass the National Expenditure Adjustment Bill which provided for still further reductions in wages and salaries. While the incomes of the people were being reduced production was increasing with the natural result—falling prices.