ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2800, 13 November 1931, Page 6

ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

OPENED IN HAURAKI. LABOUR IN THE FIELD. MR. PETRIE ADDRESSES MEETINGS. Have Hauraki electors already decided how their votes are to be cast at the coming election ? It would certainly appear, so from the interest displayed by electors in the election campaign, opened on Friday evening last by the. chosen Labour candidate, Mr C. R. Petrie. Attendance at the meeting [held in the Ngatea Hall would not total a score. On Saturday morning a meeting was to be held at Pipiroa, but at the prescribed time there was a very poor gathering. The afternoon meeting fixed for Kaihere met with almost similar results, and Mr Petrie did not think it advisable to speak. He proceeded, via Torehape, to Waitakaruru to his evening meeting. The address at Ngatea on Friday evening, however, will prove of interest to those who through short notice were unable to attend meetings nt the other centres. Mr E. Davies occupied the chair. The Coalition Government.

“When the wolves organise it is bad for the sheep,” said Mr C. R. Petrie, m criticising the Coalition Government in his opening address at Ngatea. “No one can deny that New Zealand is facing difficulties, but if we can get a Government capable of action, this country can still lead the way fiom depression to prosperity. Coalition is unfitted for this position. The people of New Zealand arc capable of solving their own problems, ard the Labour Party believes that the energy of the people should be vsecl in that direction. The spirit of the people is crushed by depression. Let us feel that we have the power to bring our own salvation.” Mr Petrie continued to point out that Labour regarded the Coalition movement as a sinister arrangement, veiled behind “patriotism." He was not sure that there would be an election even now, but should the issue become open, the people of New Zealand would witness yet another attempt to delude electors by “inuendo, insinuation, and the self righteousness of the Pharisee.”*

The Government repeatedly stated that the country was in a desperate financial position, and the Coalition appealed to the people to establish a system of sane finance by returning a combined Government. “Who has on (’angered our credit." Continued Mr Petrie. Why is the Government only now beginning to face unemployment efficiently Something has gone wrong with the “snne” finance i f the past, amply illustrated by such monuments as the Auckland milway station. Arapuni, and ether woiks of note. There has been a shameful waste in the past, and I say definitely that the honour and integrity (f New Zealand is just ns safe with Labour as with the Coalition. Labour Finance. Speaking of the Labour Party’s \ iews cf re-establishing the finances of the people, Mr Petrie said: “We can only help people to pay increasing liabilities by increasing their incomes.’ Labour had long protested against the financial drift, while the Government bad insisted the: the cost of racial service must increase. How could this be possible while the wealth of the people was decreasing? The Labour idea of discovering where the wealth of the country lies hidden, and taxing directly where incomes are more than sufficiently large was denounce/ as Bolshevik.

New Zealand is financially sound, he continued but the present Government is not fir action It waits patiently in expectation of something turning up. Mr Forbes said that drastic measures were necessary, but his only scheme so far has been the taxation of the wage earner. It is repeatedly said that Labour measures arc for the future. Too much t'me has already been lost, conridering what is to be done, and nothing has been done. The Economy Committee was only a joke. All it produced had been the Coalition. The Premier concentrated only on the postponement of the election. His statement was to the effect that drastic economy measures on the eve of the election might affect the issue, with detriment to the Government. Could he not trust the people to see daylight through his actions? Seven months ago he announced a policy that would balance the Budget and maintain the country In solvency; that would reduce the cost of living and help the farmer to nake ends meet; that would increase employment and stop retrenchment; that would bolster credit and be a cure for all our ills. “ None of these promises,” continued the Labour candidate, “have been fulfilled.” He quotd as an ex ample the operation of the 10 per cent.

cut on waterside workers. Ninety per cent, of these men work for overseas companies, the result being that £9O in every £lOO saved by the cut goes in dividends to sharholders of the companies overseas. Balance of Trade. “Under the present Government.” continued Mr Petrie, “wealth for the masses is fast disappearing, and the cities drifting into sordid poverty. The industrial system must be dealt with quickly, and requires attention more urgently than the financial position. The Budget cannot be balanced out of revenue. It is the balance of trade that requires attention. The time has arrived to regulate trade balance* overseas. Our Budget may balance, but our trade ledger is always overlooked.” There were three ways, he said, in which this could be done. Foreign credit must be made difficult for the importer. A super tax must be placed on all dutiable goods not manufactured in the country. An increase of exports over imports must be made, and quickly. We must have confidence in ourselves. The energies of the people must be utilised to make the country self supporting. Home markets mean prosperous cities and less industrial employment. Farming cannot absorb 52,000 unemployed, so that it is only reasonable to suppose t! at they must-be taken up by industry. The Labour Party, said Mr Petrie, v ould give industry protection if it was ieconstructed along modern and efficient lines. Further than that, commercial treaties would be arranged overseas whereby a ’ steady flow of exports would be maintained.

The Farmer’s Problem. Speaking on the fanners’ problems, Mr Petrie said that 30 per cent, of our settlers were insolvent beyond hope cf recovery. They struggled on because they had nothing else to do. Forty per cent, more had paid too much for land and stock, and had too large liabilities to meet. The Labour policy is more progressive than to rJlow 70 per cent, of the farmers to struggle in poverty. The Government must dispense with haphazard methods and evolve a definite scheme that will bring future results. The farmer must be protected from the man v. ho is trying to drive him off the land. New Zealand is nothing but a huge land settlement scheme, in which there is ample room for 15.000 new farmers. There was the t ccessary man power; there was the necessary Crown lands; bring the two together and the position was made solid. Finance was the great difficulty. Money for this purpose could be borrowed in thejiouontry on a basis c r short dated loans. In two years’ time the new farmers would he self supporting and paying off th-.ir interest and sinking fund. Crown land development was security enough unon which to raise the necesaary money. Five million could b<* raised ;*•■ five weeks Income Taxation. Some Governments, said Mr Petrie, favoured indirect taxation, since the people could not see what they were paying Labour believed in levying the main tax direct on the income, so that each man paid in proportion to bis ability. At present, through Customs taxes, etc., the small m%n was supporting the country. There was also too much inherited wealth He believed in death duties to eliminate tRe accumulation of wealth from generation to generation.

An Appeal In concluding. Mr Petite stated: “We must have equality of sacrifice and equality of prosperity. The policy of the Coalition Government will get us nowhere. Let us feel that wo have the power, energy, and will to rise above our misfortunes. If the Labour Party goes in. rest assured that industry will not be injured, and that the prosperity of the country will not be endangered. The Labour Party requires the help of the people at the election, whereafter, if Labour is given an opportunity, New Zealand will turn its back on dull times.” There were no questions put to the candidate, and the meeting closed with a vote of thanks and confidence.