LARGE AUDIENCE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32316, 20 September 1943, Page 8

LARGE AUDIENCE

MR W. POLSON AT THAMES ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME WAR EXPENSES CRITICISED ►Speaking oh behalf of Mr W. A. Clark, the National Party’s candidate for the Thames electorate, Mr AV. J. Polson, deputy-Leader of the party, was enthusiastically greeted by a large audience in the King's Theatre last evening. The Mayor of Thames, Air S. Ensor, presided, Air Clark accompanying Air Polson on the stage. Before Air Polson opened his address. the chairman introduced Air Clark and asked him to say a few words. Air Clark said he was definitely in the campaign to light for freedom and better government for the people of this country. (Applause). So far throughout the electorate he had met with a wonderful reception, and the contest had been conducted in a clean and decent fashion. For his part be intended to carry on in the same way. As he would be speaking in the King’s Theatre on the 23rd hist., he would not say much more other than to express his thanks to Air Polson for his assistance, and to request the electors to vote Clark on September 25. A Warm Reception

I’pon rising to speak, Air Polson was accorded loud applause. He thanked the audience for giving him such a hearty welcome. From what he had heard since arriving in the electorate the National Party had a good candidate in Air Clark. Everywhere he had heard nothing but good about the candidate. and the people could leave the affairs of this electorate in the hands of Air Clark on September 25, which he was sure they would so. (Applause ).

Continuing. Mr Polson said that after addressing enthusiastic audiences all over the country, he was quite sure there was going to lie a great change in many of the seats now held hy Labour on Saturday week. “I am here to-night, Mr Mayor, not only to assist Mr Clark, but to show the difference between the policies of the Labour Party and that of the National Party." As distinct from that of the Labour Party, the National Party’s policy was definitely one to assist the family man. The War Expenditure “Now,” said the speaker, “the Labour Party started on the right foot but lately it has changed over to the left foot and is now doing things that we never thought it would do. Industrialists have every right to have their unions. I believe in unionism. I am a unionist myself, but I do not believe that the Government should use that unionism for the benefit of one particular class at the expense of another class. .We have sent nearly 190.000 men overseas who have added lustre and laurels to the name of this fair country. (Applause). This large army was costing the country large sums of money. When Mr Holland asked for a committee to look into this huge expenditure, the Prime Minister agreed and the other members of the ■War Cabinet agreed, yet when Mr Holland forwarded the name of this committee to the Press, the censor, who is also Director of Publicity, stepped in and stopped its publication after it had been agreed that the names should be published. The fact of the matter is, Mr Mayor, the censor had received instructions from someone higher up. Now, a lot of the money for war expenditure was coming out of your pockets and mine, and was shown to have been wasted, and Mr Holland thought it time that somebody should step in and try to rectify the position. Mr Holland’s assertion had now been backed up by the Auditor-General’s report.”

Dealing with ,the manner in which the present Government was being ruled from influences outside Parliament, the speaker maintained that Parliament had almost ceased to function owing to the dictates of the Easter Labour Conference and the large amount of legislation being put tlirough by order-in-council. Praise Foi- Engineers Mr Polson then spoke on the large amount of absenteeism in many of the factories of this country. On every day and in every week, he said, there were 9000 absentee workers in the factories of this country. Many factories _ on war work worked 55 hours, at. overtime rates after 40 hours, while others only worked 30 hours.. There was one kind of factory' that

was doing a great job. and that was the engineering trade. These men at Thames and Other places were doing

a. wonderful war effort. Industry and farming must go hand in hand. Because it must not be overlooked that J) 7 per cent of our production that was sent overseas came from the land. The farm economy of this country therefore must be sustained.

“Now, Air Alayor,” continued the speaker, “I have been accused of attacking the men on the waterfront. I wish to publicly deny this accusation. I have not attacked the men but the system that allows such• conditions to prevail.” He then showed the way men in their holidays and after their ordinary working hours had earned large sums by working on the waterfront. He read written statements given by some, of the men setting out the hours worked and the high amounts paid. “This all helps to increase the high cost of living in this country,” added the speaker. Cost of Living Rises The Government, through its Alinister of Finance, • stated that the increase in the qost of living since the Government came into power had only been 1.3£ per cent. “Here is a list of 100 lines of groceries, and when a great many of them are looked into the rise works out. at nearly 06 per cent,” said Air Polson.

Dealing with the supply of linen flax, the speaker said the British Government. had requested the New Zealand Government to send all the linen flax it could, as it was urgently needed. It was agreed that the acreage be stepped up and it was increased to 24,000 acres. The flax grown in Southland -was considered the best in the world. Then the Alinister of Agriculture instructed that the quantity must be cut down almost in half. This was how the Government, was helping the war effort, said the speaker. Land Settlement Bill

Mr Polson then spent some time on the Servicemen’s Land Settlement Bill, which the Opposition so strenuously opposed. “This Bill, Mr Mayor,” he said, “will not settle one single man on the land. The only man it will settle is the owner of the land. This Bill is an attempt to embody the first platform of the Labour Party’s policy of nationalisation of all land in this country. There is ample provision on the Staute Book to safeguard the. interests of the returned men. The State Advances Corporation has to approve the price before the deal goes through.” Dealing with the question of grant-

ing the freehold. Air Polson said: “If its good enough for our soldiers to go and fight for their country, then they are entitled to a little bit of it when they return.” (Applause). The soldier did not want the farmer or owner of land to pay for his rehabilitation. It was unfair to the farmer and to the soldier. He then read a resolution from the U.S.A, asking that the freehold tenure be made available to the soldier, and that he be exempt from the provisions of the Bill. Everyone liked to own his own home, his farm or his business. There is a magic in ownership inherent in the British people, said Air Polsen. State and the People The National Party recognised that the State must be the servant of the people, instead of the people being the servant of the State, as was the case with many of the orders by regulation introduced by the Labour Party. The National Party would endeavour to settle everybody on the land who wanted to go on the land.

Air ■ Polson then explined some of the major planks .in the National Party’s platform and assured his hearers that, they could safely leave the responsiility for good government in the hands of the National. Party and in Air S. G. Holland, who was an honest, capable and energetic leader. He concluded by asking the people of the Thames electorate to give Air Clark their support on election day. (Applause).

As there were no questions put to the meeting, Air C. S. Donovan moved that a vote of thanks be accorded to Air Polson for his interesting address, and that the meeting supports the policy of. the National Party. This was seconded by Air AV. B. Teasdale and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the Alayor for presiding terminated a very successful meeting.