For a Brighter Future Mr J. Hodgens Speaks to Citizens

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 276, 22 November 1935, Page 8

For a Brighter Future

Mr J. Hodgens Speaks to Citizens

An enthusiastic reception was given Mr J. Hodgens, Labour candidate, when he delivered his main political address at the Opera House last evening. Ho confined himself mainly to criticisms/of the Government and at the conclusion of the speech a motion of confidence was carried. Before calling on Mr Hodgens, the chairman, Mr P. T. Robinson, thanked electors for giving the other candidates a fair hearing. Mr Hodgens pointed out that Labour had challenged the Palmerston constituency for 21 years. Each election had been contested, the speaker just coming on to the hustings in 1912. His experience then'was such that he didn’t feel like renewing the‘attack but tho late Mr Holland' had made very eraest representations to him in 1931 pointing out that-it was the speaker’s duty to the party. It was then that he gave their departed leader a pledge that he would do his best for Palmerston North and bv that pledge he intended to stand/ At the 1931 election he -had polled 5220 votes whereas there were (5460 against the - party. He appealed to Labour to stand fast to those 5220 votes for the one who could score that number on Wednesday would be elected. The pages recently turned in the Dominion ’s history were 1 some of the blackest. Pensions and wages had

been cut in order to balance a budget. The Arbitration Coust had been smash-

ed; organisations which fought to uplift the’ worker generally had been swept aside to make easy the exploitation of individuals. Material interests, equities and savings had been confiscated and all those things had convinced the peoplo that the time was come for a change in government. Even the Reform press forecast thirteen additional Labour wins but they had overlooked liangitikei, Otaki and Wanganui, which would bring the total to 16. Only 17 extra seats were needed to put the party in power and it was up to Palmerston to provide the 17th.

(Applause). The candidate referred to the absence of Mrs Hodgens who was still in hospital and said that becauso he did not have her co-operation this time, his fight was not so easy. However, fie Was thankful for the wonderful cooperation of the- workers of the electorate and between them they were going to pull the job off. (Applause). The Real Difficulty.

The problems that New Zealand were facing had not been brought about by underproduction. That problem had been solved years ago by the advent of the machine. The trouble was that the machine that produced abundance was not a consumer of the things it produced. The real difficulty lay in the lack of proper distribution. People were suffering from lack of food and clothes amidst all' the abundance. The National;, Government evidently thought ,lhe, way xo bring prosperity back was to cut the purchasing power of the people. That might be ail right when there was a shortage of goods but not when food and clothes were in abundance. The proper thing to do was fo"-'ififerea , so ttfo purchasing power of the people so that they could buy that which was for sale. The ridiculous part of it was that becauso the people of New Zealand can’t buy New Zealand’s a surplus was created and ..it was. shot away to the Old Country,.. And., then. the . Government said the price received for that surplus fixed the price of commodities in the Dominion. The whole thing was a tragedy. Who saw a relief-worker’s wife in a fur coat? (Laughter). Goods were destroyed every day b.ecauso the people could not buy them. It seemed very much like slinging the Almighty's gifts back in His face. How could wages and salaries rise in parallel with the industry shown by the people under such circumstances? The present Government said the standard of living in the Dominion must depend on what Tooley street would give for our produce. Why should that be? Tooley Street in its turn was dependent on the

purchasing power of England’s workers, so that so long as England was full / of unemployed, New Zealand must also suffer. To use the same argument, with such trade as New Zealand might lind in the East, tho people of New Zealand must come down to tho standard of living of the coolie. Mr Coates had said Labour could not put into practice its policy of stabilising prices in New Zealand independent of England, but Mr Coates had yet to learn that prosperity could not be brought back by cutting wages and pensions. The Labour party intended to see that conditions prior to 1928-29 were brought back. Members of the Labour party wero not all irresporisibles, and knew the feasibility of their plan. And in their policy they did not stand alone. ' Even the King, in his broadcast speech of 1933, realised that the way tho Imperial Government had tried to bring about a change for the better, by adopting a policy which the New Zealand Government had followed, was not likely ' to lead anywhere. The Labour party’s job was to bring the superabundance of the country to the people, and they could do it. (Applause.) Dismal Policies There was now a Democrat party which declared the country could borrow its way to prosperity. During the Reform party’s regime of sixteen years, £166,000,000 had been borrowed, so that if what the Democrats wanted to do was true, New Zealand should have been prosperous long ago. Both borrowing and starvation policies had been tried with dismal results, and it was tinie the Labour party had a tljance. * , \ Side by Side

Some there -were who said tho Labour party had no men in its ranks with ability. But what did Mr Forbes know about liuanee? Mr Forbes him-

Urges Labour’s Cause and Gets Vote of Confidence

self had admitted ho knew nothing about it. Mr Savage, ou the other hand, had made a life-study of it. The candidate then contrasted Mr Coates with Labour’s ‘‘Finance Minister,” Mr W. Nash. The former, he said, had lowered the standard of living, whereas Mr Nash would see that .it gradually rose. Mr Nash was wide awake to progress. The candidate then stepped Mr P. Fraser, Labour’s “Minister of Education,” alongside Mr S. G. Smith, saying that the policy of denying education to the children was disastrous to the country. That was not Mr Fraser’s policy. He would see that every child had free and full education from the kindergarten to .the university. (Applause.) . In this contest Labour was doing the attacking; tho Government candidates were standing with their backs to the wall’. Raised Cost of Living On top of reducing tho purchasing power of the people, the Government had decreed for extra ■ taxes. They had raised the ~ exchange which Mr Coates said had- not increased tne cost of living. When he had heard Mr Coates say that in tho Stato tkeatie, Mr Hodgens said it took him all his time to sit quiet. A pound that was made to be worth only 15s was nothing less than confiscation. Then they had added a sales tax to reduce the 15s to 13s 6d. On top of that had come tho wages tax of Is in the £l, which further reduced the £1 to 13s. Mr Hodgens again declared all this was confiscation, and the Government, in defending'its action, was throwing up smoke screens. Some Government members were even showing their teeth, well knowing that the Labour party’s policy had an appeal to the electors of the Dominion. Mr Nash and. Wages Cuts

Three candidates were contesting the Palmerston seat, each one abhoring the politics of the other. Mr Nash and Mr Robinson had had quito a little newspaper controversy on me question as to whether l)lr Nash had voted for cuts in wages and pensions. Mr Hodgens read from Hansard to prove that what Mr Robinson had said was correct. A year later Mr L. Parry (Labour) had moved for tho restoration of cuts and salaries, and Mr Nash had voted against it. There had also been another opportunity which Mr Nash had let slip. What was Palmerston to do with such a representative?

A voice: Fire him! (Laughter.) Mr Hodgens; If wo stick to our 5200 votes we will certainly fire him (Applause.) Taxing the Wealthy

The candidate said no working person in New Zealand would object to a graduated wages tax provided it was used for tho purpose for which it was raised. The workers did not want to be contributing to squatters by way of subsidised labour, because the latter held more land than they could possibly utilise. Mr Hodgens said that while the picture had grown darker for ono section it had brightened for others. In 1932 the income of 338 people in New Zealand had exceeded £25,000 per annum. Rather than take Is 9d a week off an old-age pensioner and Is a week off a worker, could not £SO or £IOO have been taken in that year as a special economic tax off those with £25,000 ! (Hear, hear.) He was n.ot suggesting that the lower masses should be raised by pulling down those on top but ho was suggesting that the lowest should be raised to the 1929 standard. The speaker referred to tho changes that had been made in the method of taxing incomes. When the minimum was reduced from £3OO to , £260, the number w'ho had to pay had been increased from 27,00,0 to 57,011. On the other hand, those paying the highest; tax of 7s 4d in the £l, plus 20 per cent, supertax, had had their burden reduced to ss, with no supertax. By its actions the Government had made those least able to do so pay. No attempt had been made to reduce Customs taxes though tho Government had promised to do it in its 1931 promises. Why should the people be taxed around their breakfast table when there were other ways of getting the national requirements? Industries and Land. The Government promised to develop industries, but where wero those industries? The Government promised to develop the land. A voice: By passion fruit farms. (Laughter.) Mr. Hodgens: You could have passion fruit juico cuough to be able to swim in, but it would not solve the problems this country is faced with. Tho Reform Party in 1944 had promised reduction in Customs duties when they- were collecting £3,000,000. Instead, in 1921 Customs duties had been increased to produce £8,769,000, while in 1934 the total had reduced to £6,455,000 only. Press Criticised. The speaker declared that tho Press was working solidly for tho Government and vested interests. When one looked through the electoral roll page by page, ono wondered how the Government could get the 6000 votes it did in Palmerston in 1931, but its representative had got them and it had undoubtedly been because of the work of tho newspapers The speaker contended that tho postal, telegraph and Customs concessions granted the newspapers were some of tho reasons why they -were behind the Government. However, if a Labour Government was returned on Wednesday next, they would havo a modem method of giving the people Iheir news and that would be by tho free use of tho broadcasting stations.'

Labour would not bo creating work

for work’s sake and calling leisure unemployment. Labour would not keep tlie steam shovel in a shed and allow men to continue working under tho conditions that existed at Milson for instance. Why should men be confined to conditions that were atrocious? Why should not they bo able to stand and watch tho steam shovel doing the work that previously they had to do with their hands? Man liad created these machines so that he could enjoy less fatigue and more leisure, and yet rnan was denied te profits of his invention. Once there was a Liberal-Labour Party which had put New Zealand in tho van of progress and the envy of other countries. Now there was at hand another chance to return to that brighter atmosphere.

Speaking of the Independent candidate, Mr. Hodgens said that Independence was the weakest of representation in a House of SO members. Mr. Mansford had a policy that differed very little from that of the Democrat Party. Health Scheme. The Labour Party stood for a free national health insurance scheme for every man, woman and child because a healthy community was the Dominion ’s biggest asset. In 1914 the Government promised such a scheme, hut had done nothing. When challenged to-day, Mr. Coates said the Government was still investigating the matter. (Laughter.) On tho other hand, tho Labour Party had got past the investigation stage and had a complete scheme to put -forward as soon as it was in office. Mr. Hodgens also claimed that tho Government had neglected the health of the native race until it had become a scandal. Labour would not distinguish between the brown and tho white and was pledged to. do unto the Maoris as it would do iintd* tho English. Labour wmuld also make tho educational road straight and clear from the kindergarten to tho university and would not ration teachers. The children of the mass of tho peoplo would be given tho same privileges as those of tho rich.

Tho candidate referred to the fact that the Labour Party had no fewer than seven ministers of religion standing in its interests at tho election. There were also two Oxford graduates in its ranks. Labour did not promise these things with no intention of doing them and the people had nothing to fear.

“I dou7t take my hat off to either of the other two candidates,” said tho speaker, “and when I'm in the House I’ll make my statements without reading them. And if Palmerston is not represented by a Cabinet Minister I’ll be up James’ line.” (Laughter.) Question Time. He would not advocate the city taking over Milson aerodrome which was to beeomo a port for Union Airways, any more than he would ask the city to take over tho railway station. Ho would not advocate a return to the gold standard. All that was necessary was paper credit over which the country had somo control —the industriousness of the people of New Zealand.

Tho Labour Party would run the country at the cost only of tlie salaries of Cabinet and members. The present Government had called in commissions and boards to do tho work, thereby admitting its incompetence as well as adding to the cost.

A graduated income tax was a perfectly fair and equitable tax, but it should not be tho only one. . There was the graduated land tax which had been struck out, doing New Zealand untold harm. The only way to break up big estates was to have a graduated land tax, and it must be placed on the Statute Book again. _ New Zealand could be exploited just as intensely by British shipping companies as by American shipping companies. He would give equal facilities to the child attending a private school as to ono attending a State school. Mr. G. Gulliver moved a vote of thanks and confidence, stating that he had been much impressed with the farrcaching policy of tho Labour Partj. Mr. V. Christensen seconded and the motion was carried by acclamation and cheers.

Mr Mansford at West End Mr. G. Tremaine last evening presided over what was thought to be the largest meeting yet held in West End during the present political contest, when Mr. Mansford addressed district electors along the lines of his previous addresses. He also referred to tho Auditor-General’s report on the public accounts. He quoted an extract which stated: “The result is to inflate the total balances as shown in the published accounts. And,” stated Mr. Mansford, “the Auditor-General exemplified his meaning so that there should be no misunderstanding and, in my opinion, I should havo no hesitation in saying accounts had been manipulated, in view of what the AuditorGeneral says and the clearness in which he gives his example.’’

The candidate skid it was a sorry state of affairs in this country when such headings in the Auditor-General’s report as “Discrepancies between the public accounts as published and the Treasury books.” All right-thinking people would commend tho AuditorGeneral for tho stand he had taken. Mr. Mansford answered several questions, and Mr. A. Just proposed a vote of thanks to tho speaker, and stated West End would show its confidence on election day. Mr. Simmonds seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the chair .terminated an enthusiastic meeting.

National Candidates at Linton

There was a splendid attendance of electors last evening at Linton to hear Messrs J. Linklater and J. A. Nash, the two official National candidates. Mr. Jos. Batchelar presided. Both, candidates dealt very exhaustively witli tho country’s finances; also what had been dono to bring about equilibrium. Matters dealing with exchange, the Reserve bank, the Mortgage Corporation and other legislation that had been introduced during tho

past three years, were explained to tho audience. A number of questions were asked and answered. On the motion of Mr. Batchelar a very hearty vote of thanks was carried to both speakers, and a similar compliment was paid to the chairman. Mr Hornblow Visits Bulls An uninterrupted hearing was accorded Mr. J. K. Hornblow, Independent candidate for Manawatu, when he addressed a well-attended meeting of electors in the Town Hall, Bulls, last evening, Mr. F. A. Holland occupying the chair. Mr. Hornblow’s policy was closely followed, and his proposals for a reduction in taxation met with unanimous approval, the speaker being frequently applauded. At tho conclusion of his address only ono or two questions wero put to the candidate,- and he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks on the.motion of Mr. 11. Bowen. Democrat at Shannon Mr. M. H. Oram, Democrat candidate lor Manawatu, addressed a well-attend-ed meeting at tho Renown Theatre, Shannon, last evening. Mr. Mead was in the chair. The candidate dealt chiefly with finance and education and received a most attemive hearing entirely tree from interruption. At tho conclusion there were few questions, the chairman remarking that the audience was apparently quite satisfied with the exposition of the party’s programme. Mr. Oram was accorded a hearty vote ol thanks.