LABOUR’S POLICY

Hokitika Guardian, 20 June 1934, Page 2

LABOUR’S POLICY

ADDRESS BY MR It. SEMPLE NEED FOR MONEY REFORM There Was a good attendance at the Town. Hall last evening to hear Mr .It. Semple, Labour member for Wellington East deliver an address . oil Labour's policy in regard to money reform. The chair was occupied by Mr E. AY. Merman, who, in opening the meeting apologised for tho absence 0 f the Mayor and deputy-Alayor. The chairman stated he had great pleasure in introducing Mr Semple, but before he called on him to deliver his address he asked Mr James O’Brien, member for Westland who was also on' the platform, to say a few words. Air James O’Brien who was greeted with applause, said before Mr Semple gave. Lis address he wished to- explain something to. them. He had been taken to task by the editor of the local paper, who had asked why he had dared to go away to try to raise funds for the miners who were out on strike at Waiuta. He wished to say-he was always ready to give his assistance to any miners who want support. He was also always ready to give, his best to any farmers who wanted bis assistance in any way, and, as far las he was able they were going to get it. There was one passage in the article that he took special exception to and that was which referred to the defence of the company in its actions. Anyone who has worked in this mine for any time is suffering in a more or less degree from that dread disease of miners’ phthisis. This company put in the ten per cent cut when gold was £3 18s per ounce and they refused to return the cut when gold was £7 per ounce. They were returning their shareholders the equivalent of £39 per month, for each miner engaged and whftt the miners asked for if granted would only have meant a reduction to £36 per month, hut this meagre request was refused. Mr. O’Brien went on to state that in the last year he had dealt with more cases of miners phthisis than ever in his life before. That is tho result of the conditions in' which these men were working, and some people want them to continue to work in those condition#. Mr Semple' had come down here tonight to explain Labour’s plans., It was a shocking state of 'affairs tliat in a, country full of milk and honey, they had never had a more plentiful harvest; and' a wonderful production, that alongside they should have i.such hunger and starvation as stalked through this fair country Sat the ,present time.' The present government were not considering the welfare of humanity but the securing of cent ppr cent -of interest. Little children 1 of five years were refused permission to go to school, there we v e . 7-5,000 able bodied men o u the dole, and nothing was being done to improve the position. When everybody understood the Labour policy there will be a, great- change in the country. Mr Semple was going to explain the 'Labour policy and he Was sure when lie had finished they would fully appreciate what his party stood for.’

Mr E. Semple said lie wished to speak to them of two parts of the aspect of the great calamity that had overtaken this great country. In these modern days things are very different to what they were in other days. When the machine goes wrong i n one country, it now goes wrong in all other countries. The world is a richer place now than ever it was before, If you take the world’s population as a unit it will be found that each unit can produce forty times mole now than each Unit of a century ago. As the mechanical aids increase 1 yud develop thcie is a material reduction in the 'amount of labour that is used. We have got to understand the fundamental causes of our troubles. We have a lot of political quacks in New Zealand, interfering with the body politic. Dealing with world production reference was made at length to the position in America and Japan'. There was one principle underlying production and that was consumption. Ho was going to try and place his finger on' the spot whore there was the loose nut iu our system. The whole position was wrapped up in the question of distribution and of money power. Money is not wealth. It has no real wealth ilsef. The only wealth is the articles that man need. The manufacture of the money to-day was the cause of iall our troubles. He was going to prove that everything the present Coalition Government had done had been 'arranged and ordered by the hankers. Hie speaker proceeded to nuote various articles in support of his contentions, including Mr Eooscvelf, Mr Edisqn and the Prince of Wales. Proceeding lie outlined what the Labour party were going to do when they got into power. He had been, travelling up and down New Zealand of late, 'addressing public meetings, and meeting the people. No one ],a.s anything to say that is good of the Government of New Zealand, but there | have been repeatedly unanimous votes of confidence passed to the Labour I party. Deferring to the position i' ,! England 'and the enormous debt owing, he stated that 13s 6d in every pound ol income went in payment of interest and the remaining ds 6d was all that was left to carry on the country. They would never he able to assist the farmers of this country till they relieved them of tjhe interest bill of nineteen millions that had to he p'aid yearly by New Zealand of which the farmers had to find ten millions. The exchange trick was simply a move to obtain, money for payment of in-

torost, The Labour Party had pointed out in tho past what was going to happen, and it had come to pass. La-bours,-aim was to see : that those who created the wealth should receive their share of tho wealth they created. The speaker proceeded, at length in support of the aims of the party, in the courso of which many references were made to past happenings and their hopes for the future, concluding a speech of over two hours with a- strong appeal for support of the proposals lie had outlined. On the motion of Mr A. Cutbush, seconded by Air AValter Smith a hearty vote of thanks for his able and instructive 'address was, Accorded the visitor.

Afr. Semplo in' acknowledging the vote said he appreciated the cordial reception given and paid, a tribute to -the work of AVestland’s member. It was some twenty-five years since ho had first addressed an audience in Hokitika and it. was gratifying to find from a small beginning the position of the Labour party in the town now. On Air Semple’s motion a vote of thanks to the chairman for presiding, was carried by acclamation and the meeting closed.