LABOUR RULE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 228, 25 August 1945, Page 4

LABOUR RULE.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In further reply to "Labourite" regarding' my questions:—(l) State houses: On. making enquiries I rind two rooms and a kitchenette were available (not now) for from 19s a week. If this is what "Labourite'' considers a home for a worker he is welcome to it. He says it's a poor worker today who doesn't receive 31s 6d per day. Then there are thousands of such under his Government. (2) Depressions: I would remind him, as he quotes other countries, New Zealand was ruled partly by Tories for many years with only the one great depression in more recent times and which was world wide. (3) I don't need to refer to my party representative regarding soldiers' votes. Being one who listened in to the debate, like thousands 1 regard it a public scandal. (4) "Labourite" mentions special police who batoned strikers into submission. This action was taken only when the strikers used force, as did demonstrators, smashing shop windows, etc., thereby penalising those who had done their best to help them. 'I hen lam asked to give four achievements under Tory Governments to measure up to thciso ot Labour. Weil at> we am all aware previous to Labour taking office there were no such thing as pensions—aged people just starved to death. No hospitals —people died anywhere, even in the streets. No roads —just bush tracks. No railways and even the Tltrakina tunnel was unheard of. No schools—which eventually brought about a most uneducated Government in 1935. No houses —only mud huts. Not even paper available, which meant we had no permits, licences, or forms of any sort to fill in. No electricity—we just groped in the darkness, but today we see the light of day which will become clearer as September, 1946, approaches. Definitely, I say the work of past Governments was just one great achievement. —Yours, etc., TERRIBLE TORY.