LABOUR AND COALITION GOVERNMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 6, 7 December 1931, Page 9

LABOUR AND COALITION GOVERNMENT.

(To tlio Editor.) Sir, —As an elector it was my privilege to hear the Labour candidate tor Palmerston North address the electors on the evening before the election. He certainly made a good speech which appeared to captivate the audience into the belief that the Labour Party if returned to Parliament would be the salvation of New Zealand. We noted a very line portrait of the late Hon. R. J. Seddon on the stage, and in fluent language the speaker tried to “gull” the audience into the belief that the above hon. gentleman and his party were the “Labour-Liberal” Government, and tho present Labour Party’s platform is on the same lines. Astonishing news that ? The Seddon and JBallanee Governments were out and out Liberals of which the speaker must have been fully aware. It was simply a gullible catch phrase to capture votes. As with the present Coalition Government Mr Forbes and Mr Coates are working shoulder to shoulder as did Mr Seddon and Sir Joseph Ward for the good of “God’s own country.” Why was there not a portrait also of the late Sir Joseph Ward? He was the Hon. It. J. Seddon’s colleague. There was not a word of the trouble that the United Government had put the country to. The whole pivot turned on the misdeeds of the .Reform Party. The whole of the Dominion knows well enough that during its regime the United Government was guilty of reckless extravagance and there was no alternative but lor Reform and United to enter into the Coalition. There was much said about the 10 per cent, “cut,” and thut if the Coalition Party were returned starvation would be the issue. We will see. There was much said about high salaries, etc. Just so, but how is it to be done? The speaker repeatedly referred to six very wealthy men in New Zealand. Surely industrial men have as much right as others to make money, which is largely circulating in New Zealand. Much reference was made to the waste of money on the Palmerston North deviation work and Tawa Flat deviation, but not a word about the South Island Main Trunk line. Evidently the latter is desirable and should go on, seeing that Labour members over there are in favour of it as it will favour their electorates, no matter if it is utterly unproductive. Time and space will not permit for calling attention to other matters that the speaker did not touch on. In vain we looked for a “platform policy” from the Labour Party’s candidate, and were forced to the conclusion that the only platform he had was the one he was standing on. During the evening much was said against Mr J. Nash, M.P. for Palmerston, but evidently there is a majority that is still loyal to him, as was proved when the numbers went up. In the midst of the speech some interjeetor called out: “Jimmy is shot,” which seemed to please the audience and gentlemen on the stage. When the numbers went up on Wednesday evening we found that the bullet had rebounded and hit “Joe” instead of Jimmy. It is evident the Labour Party has launched out on a new tack altogether to other Labour Governments, but so far it has not worked with much success.—l am, etc., ANTI-SOCIALIST. December sth, 1931.