Mr Mason’s Maiden Speech

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 162, 26 June 1926, Page 5

Mr Mason’s Maiden Speech

SPIRITED ATTACK ON LABOUR. EXCELLENT IMPRESSION MADE. (Special to “Tribune.’’) Wellington, June 25. Mr J. Mason, member for Napier, made his maiden speech in the House to-night, and his spirited attack on the Labour party aroused general interest. He said tho Labour party claimed to have been mor e successful at the general election from a voting point of view than the Reform party, but the figures did not support that contention. The total number of votes recorded at the election was 662,000. Of that number 315,000 were record.>l for th c Reform party, the balance being recorded for tho other parties. There was an actual majority of 47,000 votes not recorded for members of the Reform Party. The number of votes cast for Labour was 183,0(50, leaving a majority of all parties against. Labour of 479,000. If it could lie said that a majority of votes was cast against thc Reform Government then it could bo truly said that an overwhelming majority was cast against tli e Labour party. Xo seat was lost by any member nt thc Reform party sooeking re-elec-tion, which indicated thc confidence of the people of the country in the Reform party, which had received an increase of 108.000 votes, or a gain of 50 per cent in tho last six years. THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY. He said that education had made great progress in New Zealand under the Reform party. Dental clinics had been provided, as well as new buildings. Regarding an agricultural college, he said they should have a.i institution which would give the highest degree of agriculural education suited to the requirements of farming in New Zealand. He appealed for thc encouragement of tech-, nival education, believing that too much attention had been devoted to academic training in the past. He quoted extracts from Labour publications issued during the election campaign, and said tha Cusomu duties had not been increased as alleged, but th c increased imports were responsible for swelling the Customs revenue. He protested against the Labour party’s misrepresentations aa to Customs duties. That party had taken the figures from 1922 to 1925 in an endeavour to prove that tho duties had been increased, but if that was a fair method to adopt then it would be equally fair and reasonable to take the 1921 figures as a basis. If that was done it would be possible to say that thc Reform Govern* ment hd decreased Customs taxation by over £6,000,000.

Then again there was n further misrepresentation to the effect that thc Reform Government had given tax reductions to the rich. No explanation was given, however, as to why the reductions hud been made. The country had been suffering from a crushing taxation burden, and the only way to get back to normal was to reduce income tax. SOCIAL MEASURES. Mr Mason enumerated a long list of social measures which had been cither passed or improved by the Government. With regard to advances to workers, he thought it would bo a good thing t..» do away with the necessity of a deposit on the part cf married men with families, about whom good reports were received oy the Government. He alluded to the increases made in pensions, and said that it was not possible for this ox any country to give a pension that would keep a person after lie bad pass cd a certain age. It was only possible to give a pension that would as sist people in their old age. That was as far as it had boon suggested pensions should go in any country. It had -o be remembered that the Consolidated Fund was not inexhausiblc. The Labour party did not say where thc money was to come from to provide motherhood endowments and the othvr alluring promises in its programme. He had estimated that it would cost £4,290,000 a year to pro vide, motherhood endowments on th? lines suggested by the Labour party. Altogether he had estimated that In carry Out Labour’s social programme, would co 4 £ 1 5,2:)!), • (Jt - e Labour party might make its programme more attractive by offering every worker a free pass on tb.o railways for on 1 month in th e yeax, as money seemed to be no object.