LABOUR PARTY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 140, 13 May 1930, Page 8

LABOUR PARTY.

.MR H. E. HOLLAND’S CAMPAIGN. Per Press Association. HAMILTON, May 13. In tho course of an address at Frameton last evening, Mr H. E. Holland, M.P., leader of the Labour Party, made reference to the Government’s decision not to reveal figures relating to unemployment. . He said that the explanation offered by the Minister of Labour would not bear examination. To say that because of the overlapping of registrations the aggregate numbers would appear to be more than the actual amount was to confess the inadequacy of the statistical methods employed. It sounded almost Gilbertian to hear the Minister further declaring that the publication of the figures showing the number of unemployed might have a depressing effect and shake the confidmice of the people in the economic stability of the country. But, said Mr Holland, if Mr Veitch was really serious his utterance would go to make the {people believe that the problem of unemployment in this country was of a far greater magnitude’ than the public had so far been permitted to know. Possibly what the Minister feared was that the publication of the full facts might shake the confidence in the Government’s capability. In any case, whatever the numbers were the public were entitled to have them. Answering questions as to whether the Labour Party would vote with Reform on a no-confidence motion to put out the United Government, Mr Hollland said that his party had not discussed its attitude should such a contingency ariso during the coming session. The question was, he said, would Reform support Labour in its no-con-fidence motion. It would be foolish, ho added, to put Mr Coates back on the Treasury benches again with his record of class'legislation and general failure. The result of the last election was a definite pronouncement from the people that Mr Coates and Reform were finished with. Mr Coates’s defeat was so overwhelming as to leave no doubt of public opinion regarding him. Sir Joseph Ward had failed to keep his election pledges, and he must go. When lie did it would not be a question of the Reform going back, but of Labour.