Labour in Fighting Mood

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6836, 18 April 1932, Page 8

Labour in Fighting Mood

SUNDAY AFTERNOON RALLY There was again a packed Opera House yesteday afternoon for tho second of the organised Labour Party ralries in Palmerston North. T The speakers were Alessrs. C. H. Chapman, AI.P. for Wellington North, and Air. James Thorn, of Otaki. Air. J. Hodgcns presided.

In opening his address, Air. Chapman said he wished as emphatically as -he could to dissociato the Labour movement from the disturbances in Auckland and Dunedin. Tho Labour movement stood for orderly progress—for progress which could be achieved when citizens wanted its achievement by the simplo process of the ballot box. Those who connected noting with progress were most foolish. No real progress could result from rioting, which only led to battered heads. One might say that under certain circumstances workers -were justified in revolting, but those circumstances did not exist in New Zealand. While the ballot box existed no excuse could be offered for riotous behaviour. At the same time, the Labour Party had warned the Government that its policy could only result in disturbances.

Tho speaker proceeded to criticise the policy of the Government, stating that it had increased unemployment and interfered with business to such an extent that bankruptcies had been heaped on bankruptcies. He wondered if business men had thought at the time when they voted Coalition that they had handed over a blank cheque to bo used for their own destruction. Tho speaker declared that when the last wages cut was instituted women who derived their incomes from rents or profits were exempt, yet the women who earned wages had to pay. Further than that, women received no benefit from tho money that was collected as tho unemployment fund. Touching upon the amending of tho Arbitration Act, Mr. Chapman said it allowed employers inoro rapidly to reduce wages, and allowed employers to set up just what conditions they liked. That amendment was one of the blank cheques that had been given tho Coalition. Another blank cheque had been filled in to reduce pensions, and the speaker said he had prophesied at the last election that the Coalition would do that. Bcturned soldiers, whom the country had said would never bo forgotten, were included in the reductions, and that should not be. He would not say that a country should not live within its income, but there were other ways of balancing the Budget. For instance, an internal loan of £5,000,000 could be raised and, if necessary, compulsion used to see that tho money was secured. When money was urgently needed the usual method was to issue Treasury bills to the banks, which lent the money and charged interest. "Why not cut out tho intervention of the banks,” stated the speaker, amidst applause, “and let the Government havo its own currency. Tho banks have too great a hold on the country,” Currency reform.wa3 a plank in the Labour platform, and he urged its support at tho next election. Mr. Thorn contended that one of the causes of tho present collapse whs the outpacing of the purchasing power of

Alachinory and science had given men a miraculous power to produce an abundance of wealth, but on the other hand tho financial institutions had pursued a policy of deflation and had restricted the purchasing power of the people. Their action had condemned millions to unemployment and poverty. New Zealand was feeling tho effects. The first step, obviously, in pomedying tho situation, was to reduce tho hours of labour to bring more into employment, and to control finance so that privato concerns could not manipulate it to servo their own purposes. The credit of tho country should be organised for the development of industry and thus call into useful work men and women now driven desperate because they had no work. A control of banking was essential, so that money could servo industry and the people, and not a few shareholders. (Applause.) Was there a sane person in New Zealand who would say that the way to cure a situation resulting from want of purchasing power was to cut wages further? Yet that was what tho Government proposed. Wage reduction would not solvo the problem, and that had been proved by experience. Air. Thorn agreed with the State issuing its own notes, and could not see any difference between that and the Government issuing bills to the banks and having to pay interest for the privilege. The prime consideration of a Government in times like the present should be with its own people rather than with the bondholders in tho Old Country. He saw no reason why the Government should not approach the bondholders for a mitigation, just as Great Britain had approached America not so long ago.

The farmers of New Zealand were equally alive to tho danger that threatened the country if tho Government’s policy was pursued. Tho whole country was being plunged into disaster, and when that happened the disturbances at Auckland would not bo a patch on what would occur. He w'as not preaching force and violence —he had always been against it as a solution of problems. It was not riots the Labour movement was after, but tho force of public opinion. New Zealand was capable of giving a full living to every person in it, and tho Government had gone far enough. If it could not solve the problems facing it without condemning the people to misery and destitution, then in should resign. (Applause.) Mr. Thorn pleaded for unity of purpose at tho next election for tho creation of a better future. Asked as to tho attitude of tho Labour Party in regard to tho men gaoled in Auckland following tho riots, Mr. Chapman said he stood for law and order. Mr. Thorn stated that tho danger of advocating riotous behaviour was that, if persisted in, it would mean that the people of New Zealand would be deprived of many of the privileges they now had, including free speech. The following resolutions were then put by the chairman and carried: —

1. "That the citizens of Palmerston North assembled at this meeting protest against the Government’s policy, which in destroying the purchasing power is bringing hardship, fear and worry to every home and, if continued, will ’result in national bankruptcy and ruin to every farmer, trader and other worker. The Government has broken tho structure of tho Arbitration Court and thus destroyed a system which ha 3 brought aaftalflulnlilfl ftAgflautattfla £q both prapl<Hfe

ers and employees. It is attacking the education system and menacing the future of all our children. It proposes to reduce the pensions of widows, returned soldiers and aged people. It further proposes to reduce tho allowance to miners and their dependents when the breadwinner is struck down by the dread disease of miners’ phthisis, and it again proposes to cut the salaries of public servants, irrespective of whether the amount received is sufticicnt to maintain a reasonable standard of living or not.” 2. ‘‘We condemn the Government’s policy and the Government’s method of raising funds for the relief of unemployment, by which the wealthier sections of the community are exempted from the payment of their full proportion towards unemployment relief. We affirm that tho amount paid to the relief worker for the maintenance of himself, his wife and his children is totally inadequate, and we are of the opinion that the general administration of the Unemployment Act is unfair, unjust and against the interests of the workers of the Dominion. Wo therefore call upon tho Government cither to alter its policy or to resign, and pledge ourselves to use every constitutional means to defeat tho Government’s proposals.” 3. "We congratulate the members of tho Labour Party in Parliament on their magnificent fight in tho interests of the people against the Government’s destructive proposals, and we pledge ourselves to assist the Labour Party in its endeavour to restore prosperity to tho Dominion.”

BIG MEETING at redding There was an attendance of between 500 and (100 at the Aiajcstic Theatre, Feilding, for tho Labour party’s rally, Mr. J. Modgens, of Palmerston North, occupying tho chair. Tho principal speaker was Mr. F. Jones, M.P. for Dunedin South, who made a vigorous attack upon the policy of the Government in the present crisis. He directed his chief criticism at tho neglect to provide for women, whom the Government forced to contribute towards tho unemployment fund, but failed to provido for under the relief schemes.

Mr. E. 0. Bond also spoke in place of Mr. A. S. Eichards, who was called urgently to his constituency in Auckland. The meeting unanimously passed the .scries of resolutions which were also passed at the Palmerston North de-