LABOUR’S ELECTION SLOGAN.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 July 1938, Page 5

LABOUR’S ELECTION SLOGAN.

SOCIALISM VERSUS RUGGED INDIVIDUALISM.

PRANK AVOWAL BY HOUSING SECRETARY (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last NightContinuing the Address-in-Reply do bate to-day the Minis!cr in charge of Broadcasting (Hon. F. Jones) stated he was pleased to see the interest which was being taken in politics to-da> throughout the Dominion. It had' been said, he staled, that the Government had been unfair lo the Opposition in reference lo the facilities which had been offered it for broadcasting, but he rpioted the following lignres to support his contention that this 1 was not correct. During sixteen days at the end of las! session, said Mr. Jones, 55 Government

members had spoken on b-l occasions, 1:) Opposition members had spoken on Sf occasions and six Independents had spoken on 10 occasions. Mr. Jones added that lie considered it was to the Government’s advantage to give the Opposition members opportunities to speak over the air for the more the.? spoke the more votes were gained for the Government (laughter). The Minister proceeded to criticise the Opposition’s election appeal to tin* youth of the country and said the young people were not likely to forget the manner in which they were treated during the slump years. The Minister of Agriculture (Hon. Leo Martin) said he had an idea that the leader of the Opposition had accepted the system of compensated prices against his better judgment. He hau announced recently at Taihape that hu party had adopted the principle of compensation and all the leading paperthroughout New Zealand had questioned very seriously whether the compensated price scheme for dairy produce could be put into effect. There had been a lo> of talk to the effect that Mr. Hamilton’s address in which he had announced the adoption of the compensated price proposals had created a great deal ot ■unsatisfactory feeling amongst the fanning community, in the leader of the Opposition’s address at Hamilton he had advocated bringing farming costs down. How could this bo done, asked the Minister, without a reduction of wages'? Mr. Lee Martin contended that there was no suggestion that the position ot farmers would be bettered under the compensated price scheme. In fac. their whole position under the scheme ’would depend on oversea prices. He asked Mr. Hamilton to state definitely if he adhered to the five points Jai i down bv Colonel J, Closey in reference to the compensated price scheme. He thought it was quite evident that in spite of what members of the Oppose tion might say, if Mr. Hamilton could be persuaded to give his own honest opinion he would admit that it wouid be impossible to bring the compensated price system into operation. Tiie guai anteed price scheme, added Mr. Martin, had definitely assisted the farmers and he did not think they desired m change it. fit. Hon. J- G. Coates said Hr. McMillan, in moving the Address-in-lleply, had not indicated how the Government ’s Social Security Scheme was to be carried out. Ho thought it uufaii that those tv ho were already in superannuation schemes should be compelled -to pay into the national scheme and said the Government was having ditiiculty in having the National Security Bill drafted because Ministers tliemsolves w r ere doubtful how the finance and the security for that finance could be arranged for the scheme. He criticised the High Commissioner’s (Mr. Jordan) attitude at Geneva and sain most people disagreed with Labmn failure to support Groat Britain’s attitude at the League of Nations. The present Government, he said, claimed tremendous credit and said nothing had been done since the time of Soddun, but that was not so and lie instanced various humanitarian measures intro duced by various Conservative and Liberal Governments since the Snddon Administration. None of these past ben edits had come from the Socialists. When Mr. Coates was within live minutes of the time allowed for the conclusion of his speech the Minister of j Finance (Hon. \\ . Nash) mo\on U... 1 ini be granted an extension ot time, a i.ro|i'jsal which was accepted b\ the House. ft was the first extension of time asked for since the Leader of Ik-' Opposition had been granted the ]>ri\ilege at the opening of tire debate. Mr. Coates, thanking Mr. Nash for his courtesy, said lie could not be as vigorous in his criticism of the Minister who had been responsble for moving for the extension. (Laughter). Continuing, Mr. Coates asked now' fa* the Government proposed to go m tin monopolisation of the transport serviceand said to-day there were Government cars all over the place which were carrying out taxi work. The Government ’s policy of compulsory unionism he said, was placing the people of the country into .strait-jacket. The Government, in his opinion, at the last election had received no mandaUe to put its doctrine of Socialism into effect anld a

reaction must come. Referring to the Industrial Efficiency Act and the Bureau ol Industries, Jlr. Coates said it was illegal to-day for anyone to produce anything without a license. The Minister of Industries and Com-

morce: Oh, nonsense. Mr. Coates: It is not nonsense. The hon. gentleman should read his owl Act. Monopolies by vested interests, he held, were being created under the Industrial Effi"ienev Act and as a resuh ’ control by tuo Labour Adr-'lustration,