THE LABOUR GOSPEL.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 June 1932, Page 3

THE LABOUR GOSPEL.

ACCORDING TO ROBERT SEMPLE.

NATIONAL & WORLD PROBLEMS CONSIDERED.

Snapshots of a speech delivered by Mr Robert Semple, M.P. (Lab.) for Wellington East, in the Regent Theatre last evening, show that he has lost nothing of his power of political criticism after a particularly exacting session. It was a. wet night and there was rather a small attendance. Two copies of a petition w r ere spread on .tables in the vestibule, and signatures were readily forthcoming. The request embodied was that the Government repeal the legislation imposing c-iujs in ■salaries and wages and doing away with the Arbitration Court, or in the alternative resign. Mr W. G. Bishop presided, and congratulated those present on- their enthusiasm. In introducing the speaker, he compared him to St. Paul, but as one with a mission to do away with the causes of poverty. One would fail to find a more tragic epoch in the history of this or any other civilisation —that was the first of Mr Semple’s points. The task before the world is fraught v with indescribable dangers, and these must be overcame if our civilisation is to survive.

We have to-day over 50,000 strong men in New Zealand ithroAvn on to the industrial scrapheap. With their dependents, and the girls aa-lio are out of Avork, OA'er 100,000 human souls are suffering. There is more Avealth in the’ Avorld than there has eA-er been before. The, crisis is a man-made crisis—caused through the blundering of socalled. statesmen and politicians and the greed of ‘captains of industry and princes of commerce and the usurers of men and money. There Avas a time when the primitive savage, not knoAving lioav to use all the gifts shoAvered on earth by ProA-i----denee, might lie on the roadside and ’.die of starvation. To-day avc create a glut in the Avorld, fill the Avarehouses with food and the A-aults Avith gold and the banks Avith paper money; and millions of people starve alongside the AA r ealth they have created.

There must be something Avrong someAvhere, if people are starving because they produce too much. There is more food in the Avorld than ever before. In the associated banks of Ncav Zealand the aggregate of money is £13,000-, 000 more than it was in 1928.

The land is just as productiA-e as over it avas. We have more stock in the fields, more food ini the A\ T arehouses, and more money in the banks. In his opinion, this 'Coalition Government Avas .steering the State ship definitely on to the rocks. Not one of the things that the Government did last session Avas going to relieve the position; but its difficulties would be intensified, aggravated and perpetuated. If our leaders dived deep doA\-n into the core of the Avorld’s economic diseases, they Avould not do the things they Avere doing in- this country. He did not suggest that they A\-ere bad men or that they Avere wilfully attempting to cripple the Dominion; but they were damaging the interests of this country because of their lack of knoAvledge of the fundamental questions of the day. The unemployed are being increased. Every eut lowers the standard of living. The business man finds his turnover reduced by the lessened spending power,. and he is compelled to shorten his staff; and so the process goes on throughout) the industrial and commercial Avorld. In a Press interview at Christchurch on June Bth, 1931, Prime Minister Forbes said that, now that the Arbitration Court had reduced Avages, there would be more money to go round; that the percentage saved by the cut would go into industry and there Avould be more men employed; and that the Government Avould find it much easier to balance its own budget in the following year.

Just the opposite has taken place, and Mr Forbes has experienced what he was told over and over again when the cuts were before Parliament. _ The Prime Minister was told that the starving of people out of a depression was a way that (belonged not to the new school of economics, but to old and stupid theories. ■When Mr Forbes (gave his intermew, “the number of unemployed was 14,523 By October it had risen to 01,408.

Every week aifter the cut was imposed the unemployment figures went up. The Budget deficit jumped from five millions when the cut was imposed to eight apd a-half millions at the end of the last financial year. Mr Semple predicts that, if the present economic policy of the Government is continued,' the deficit will be twelve millions at the end of the next six months.

The f armers were told that they were going to benefit by the wage cut. They have been waiting nearly four years for their share of the spoil. - There are 86,000 farmers ip the Dominion, and more than half of their produce is consumed in this country. If the comfort of the people is reduced and the flow of money restricted, it becomes impossible for the people to buy the things they need. Now they are depending on what is going to be done at the Ottawa Conference; but delegates are going there divided among themselves, farmers’ representatives wanting the removal of tariffs from imports, and manufacturers’ delegates taking the opposite view. Three Ministers from New Zealand are going there—silk hats, spiked coats and all. (Laughter). Mr Semple claimed, through long Parliamentary experience, to have a definite measure of their .mental outlook apiid their; equipment generally. He did not look forward to their mission with confidence.

We have not solved the problem of distribution, and that is wrapped up with the money question. Certain men have cornered the money power of the world ai.uid are able to control society and play pitch-and-toss Avith humanity. One author says they are so few in number that they can sit round one dinner-table.

The manipulation of the gold standard is in thb hands of a ga ( ng of German Jcavs. Ncav Zealand has borroAved £175,000,000 in 16 years. Her National Debt to-day is £275,000,000. If the Dominion’s credit, based on her poAver to produce, has been sufficient for the requirements of an international gang of money-lenders, avliv not pledge that credit to ourseWes Avith our own banks and note issue, and let the gang go to the devil? (Applause) . If a man says this cannot be done, he may as Avell lie doAvn and starve, because the gang will not lend New Zealand any more money.

The monetary system of the Avorld Avill break doAvn in the next feAv months; / and Germany Avill never pay any more reparations, and moreover Avill repudiate the that has been lent her.

God in his Avisdom has been good to us, bub man in his greed has outraged that is sacred to God and man.

Mr Semple Avas heartily applauded for his .speech, at the conclusion of Avhich he ansAvered questions, and Avas the recipient of a hearty A - otc of .thanks, on the motion) of Mr J. H. ’{Taylor, for his interesting exposition of the situation.

The meeting closed Avith a vote of thanks to Mr Bishop for presiding.