LABOUR MEN

Grey River Argus, 3 August 1935, Page 4

LABOUR MEN

THE PREMIER’S CONSTITUENCY. The impression created by Mr. Nash when he spoke recently in the Prime Minister’s electorate may best be gauged from the editorial in the Aorth Canterbury Gazette'’ of July 16 dust. “Five hundred people listened attentively on Friday night in the ißang.ora Towu Hall while three leading members of the Labour Party cut the Coalition to shreds/’ the editor stated. “Unless there were five hundred others withiu reasonable distance of the had who did not attend the meettug, a.l, without exception, supporters ot the Government, it was the worst blow the Coalition hail hud iu the South island. “For Rangiora is the population centre of the Prime Minister’s electorate.. It is a market town, living almost- entirely on farmers, and has never at any time leaned to Labour, in its municipal' government it is solidly conservative and orthodox, so fur as there is any party at all, and it has many reasons to be grateful Jo Mr. Forbes. Yet it listened approvingly while visitors and comparative strangers condemned the Government, uughed at i.f, treated it with open contempt; and it spent the next morning talking about the meeting and praising the vigour and earnestnesy of the speakers. “Everybody realised that the Coalition had been exposed as blundering, inept; lacking in vision, lacking even in the energy that the country’s plight should have aroused. Labour had no dilliculty in showing that the things done to help the farmer are open to moyt serious objections, and that the things not done for other sections of the community, and not yet attempted, make the most devastating answer to the Coalition’s claim that it represents the 1 nation.’ “But the Coalition was not merely exposed. It was swept aside and ignored while Labour explained what could be done for farmery by a Government with ideas and courage. No one remembered during the last half of th e meeting that the Coalition existed. Even when Mr. Nash finished his speech and sat down the question was not whether his plan was better or worse than the Government’s, but whether this or that method was the best way of carrying it out. “It- can hardly have happened before in our history that the Government has dropped out of the public mind altogether except as a subject for ridicule; but it' has happened now.

“If the Prime Minister and the member for Kaiapoi had appeared on the same platform and addressed the same audience the vu gar would have laughed and the sensitive blushed from shame. “Whether Mr. Nash is ‘ right of wrong about’ guaranteed prices he is articulate, logical lucid, and full of impressive figures and facts. “The alternative to him and his Party unless the Coalition discovers new ta ent, is three or moie years under a matagouri bush wailing for the clouds to roll by.’’ We make the Government a present of this excellent leading article. “RECORD FOR THE TOWN.’’ The gathering organised in the Rangiora Town Hall last Friday night by the New Zealand Labour Party is believed to be something of a record for the town, reports “The North Canterbury Gazette’’ on the above date. Three of Labour’s bestknown speakers addressed a crowd of approximately five hundred peop e. They were Messrs Walter Nash, M.P. national president of the Labour Party E. J. Howard, M.P. chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board; and D. G. Sullivan. M.P.. member for Avon and Mayor of Christchurch. His Worship the Mayor of Rangiora (Mr. A. Rowse) was in the chair. Introducing the speakers he s*aid he, was sure t'hey would receive the usual fair hearing expected of Rangiora audiences. All three speakers were prominent in the public life of the Dominion and he was pleased to se ( . that so many residents were taking interest in the po'ilic-.’ of the country. There were practically <no interjections but 'the applause whenever a speaker made a point was whole hearted. The audience was either de finitely sympathetic towaids the speakers or absolutely interested in what they had to say. Mr. Sullivan spoke first, then Mr. Howard, and last. Mr. Nash. Messis Sullivan and Howard referred more to the genera.l purpose of the Labour Pai tv —to cui'p the disease that made it possible for want and poverty to exist in a naturally rich land. Mr. NaMh gave a long but well-knit address on the Labour Party’s plan to euarairt'C- prices.