ELECTION ISSUES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIII, Issue 236, 3 September 1943, Page 2

ELECTION ISSUES

MR ORAM'S CANDIDATUrTE. Over 300 electors were present in thrill Hall at Feilding last evening- when the National .Party-can* date for the Manawatu : electorate, MH. Oram, dealt witK&Ogg of the party and spoke of the rght to individual freedom. He was given ™very attentive hearing, and at the conclusion of his address several questions. Mr Oram was vote of .thanks fidence on the motion of Mr A. £ Kellow, seconded by Mr W.; »■ T, M? Oram, who' was accompaniedl by Mrs Oram and Mr D. H sident of the Manawatu branch or the National PartyX on the stage was introduced by the Mayor, (Mr 1. LSeddon), who presided. ' . "The standard of living of.any. peo pie" said Mr Oram, "depends upon themselves can. produce. To this ena there is no short., and easy road ana to create a happy and contentedpeople it is essential that all, should be engaged in some occupation, of tneir own choosing in which their capabdties can best be developed. The «« ional Party came / forward with no extravagant promises but witn a sound Sid constructive policy developed towards this end Tim mam planks of the policy were reiterated by the speaker, as contained ivthc party's manifesto. To this• should^ be added the recognition of the importance of the primary producer in: tM economy of a country situated Zealand is. Opposed to tlus + was the objective of the Labour Party, which was socialisation of the means of production, distribution, and exchange towards which end a tremendous advance had been made during tne Labour administration. RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE. Mr Oram contended that the Labour Party had failed in its major proposals of orderly marketing, medical services and housing, because it had failed to appreciate the true duties and functions ot a State under the particular type ol democracy in which British people desired to live. The community comprise" individuals, companies, corporations, ana organisations of all kinds and it was the duty of the Slate to encourage these in every way possible and to P ace «dl the facilities and advantages of the State at their disposal and to act generally as the co-ordinating body so that all might develop their own business, industry ana occupation along their own lines for the benefit of themselves and the people as a whole. Compared with this was the Labour idea of the State as the supreme body owning and controlling every form of industrial, commercial and producing activity with the individual subservient to the State in all respects. The candidate dealt at length with the result of control by the ' Labour Government during the last seven ye'ars and its failure to carry out the promises it had made. These were: Firstly, that social security would be introduced without additional taxation. Taxation had more than doubled between 1935 and 1942. Secondly, that there should be public works without borrowing, whereas the public debt had been eubstantially increased. TMrdly, there should be higher wages without increased cost of living, whereas everybody knew what the cost of living was to-day and that the £1 of 1935 was only worth 15s at the present time. Fourthly, that the farmers should have guaranteed prices without reference to the price paid in the markets of the world, which Mr Oram showed was not possible. Fifthly, that there would be lower prices through scientific marketing, whereas (he only effect of the Internal Marketing Division was to increase prices and cause a shortage of goods. That there would be a plentiful supply of everything, whereas the import restrictions had made many essential article's in short supply. Six ly, that all were to share in the general benefits, and here Mr Oram compared the lot of the railway service and the Police Force and other members of the Public Service with the more favoured groups of workers, such a 9 (hose on the waterfront who received e-travagant overtime rates even when work was notperformed, and the miners who had received large subsidies from the War Expenses' Account.. Referring to the National Party's detailed policy, Mr Oram said that nothing whatever must be allowed to interfere with the winning of the war and that, the only form of Government suitable in a country engaged in total war was a Government representative of all. shades of political opinion—a truly national government for a truly national war effort

REHABILITATION POLICY. Although the war had been going four years, no comprehensive plan for rehabilitation had been brought forward by the Government, although this had been urged from the very beginning of the war by those who realised its necessity. The problem, said Mr Oram, divided itself into, two parts: Firstly, that dealing with the Settlement of servicemen on +.he land; and, secondly, that dealing with placing them back into industry and business and other similar occupations. With regard to the former, Mr Oram said it was essential that the following rules should be followed: That no man should be put on land at more than its productive value: that each"' farm should be an economic unit sufficiently large to provide, each man with a decent, standard of living, enable him to bring up his family in comfort with the reasonable amenities of life and to improve his hn'.diner and his herd: that no man should bo put on land urjless he is suitable and given a preliminary training and then supervised and helped 'bv means of a svstem of loca' advisory committees. If these rules were followed, not only would the settler havp a reasonable chance of success, but the Government could with confidence pro vide him with adequate finance. Everysettler, too, should have tho right, if he so desired, to acquire the freehold of his own_ farm. Referrinc: to manufacturing industries and industrial relations, Mr Oram pointed out that this country could not be really prosperous unless it had a balanced economy and there wcro manufactured within the Dominion those goods which could bo economically manufactured: that the farmer's best market was his internal'market and that the proper development, of secondary industries was of tremendous importance '"'■-", ABOLISH INTERFERENCE.

Mr Oram advocated freedom from State interference and an allowance of reasonable maintenance resorves for taxation purposes and compulsory arbitration and making, illegal compulsory levies on members of unions for political purposes. ; * Mr Oram concluded with an analysis of the Servicemen's Settlement and Land Sales Act, pointing out that it gave the'Government absolute power" to acquire rural land, that although part 2 was entitled "Settlement of Discharged Servicemen" there was not a single provision therein contained dealing with the settlement of discharged servicemen upon the Finally, tho candidate made the following points in connection with the Act: Firstly, that the. State appointed its own committees which were to decide the value at which tho State could take the land over, a system which was opposed to every principle of- British justico; secondly, that it had not been shown that the land required could not be acquired by negotiation; and, thirdly, in cases where land could not ha acquired by negotiation, there was already ample machinery in tho Public Works Act and the Small Farms Act to enable the Government to acquire whatever land they needed. QUESTION TIME.

In reply ito a question as to whether it was correct, as he had stated, that his party would not interfere with the Social Security Act, Mr Oram replied that it was correct. The questioner then

inquired why the National Party had fought the measure all the time and Mr Oram replied that his recollection was that his party had not fought the mea-

"Do you favour the revocation of tha Act doing away with the death penalty, and also the Act prohibiting flogging? was another question. Mr Oram replied that he would like time to answer the question as far as the party was concerned. His personal viewpoint was that he was in favour of the death penalty and flogging for certain offences, but ho recognised that there was quite reasonable grounds for honest difference 01 opinions; it had not been made a plank of the party. Mistakes had been made and there were some people who said it was better not to kill anybody sooner than that one innocent man should suffer, but ho thought that there should ba a deterrent against grave crimes. "Would you bo in favour of reducing the exchange rate before the soldiers return?" was another question. "I be.ievo the fixing of the exchange at 25 per cent was a mistake," Mr Oram replied. 'A" subsidy system would have been preferable. I don't think it would now be feasible to take the exchange off,, and I believe it is now a i>ormanent feature of our finance." In reply to a question regarding the teaching of. religion in schools, Mr Oram stated that it was his opinion that some form of religion should be taught there. He. had never been able to. see where the objection to it lay. His answer was a personal one- and must not bo taken in any way as binding the party.