PARNELL BY-ELECTION

Northern Advocate, 6 May 1930, Page 6

PARNELL BY-ELECTION

OPPOSITION! LEADER’S SPEECH POLICY CONTRASTS. PROMISE* AND PERFORMANCE*. ‘ (Special to “Northern Advocate.’’) AUCKLAND, This Day. An enthusiastic - reception was tendered by an audience which filed every seat in Ithe Tudor Theatre, Remuera, last night, at. a meeting ad--dressed hy the Leader of the Opposition, the Rf. Hon. J. G. Contes, in snpporit of Mr W. P. Eiulcan, Reform candidate, it was the most notable, gathering yet produced by the Parmill by-election campaign, which now lias only one more day to run. Mr Coates paid a warm tribute- to ■Mr 11. R. Jenkins (who occupied a seat on the platform) for- taking the action he did. on finding himself in ;1 position that was not congenial. -in it he course of his address Mr Coates said Labour was making a bid for the Parnell seat, and big guns had been brought up to assist Mr Bloodworth. Mr Holland was simply playing- with words when, he said that .socialisation of itlio means of production, distribution: and exchange was mil a plank of tho Labour Party, but onlv an objective. Every Labour candidate was pledged -to support it. 80, fan as Reform* wais concerned-, it would not support anything of the kind-.

CrUising the Government, Mr Coates said there were many promises made ip 1928 by <tho .party .now in power. For one thing it was promised: that unemployment would he done away .with. A Voice: “You said the same in .1926,”

Mr Coates: “Wo have never made extravagant promises. ’ ’ (Another Voice: “Did you ever,keep your, promises?”

Mr Coates retorted that if the party’s manifoslto of 192(1 was read, it would be found that 'the promises made- had been kept. As far as the Government's borrowing- policy was concerned, it was only necessary to ask whether money had, been borrowed at 41 per cent, and lent at 4| per cent. Every one knew it had; not. The Government had not given performance to the pledge which, it gave. It would have been -a better and a fairer thing .had the people not been misled at. the election in 1928. “If I may say-so with a fair amount of truth (loud laughter from . the back), a section of the public swallowed tho £70*000,000 hook, bait, sinker and line.”

The United Party had promised reduced taxation, continued the Reform Leader. Much was made of the fact that there would he a national surplus, but it .would be somewhat surprising if there was not, since there had 1 been an increase, in imports and an extra one per cent, primage on goods. Mr 'Coates ashed whether there had been performance in connection with the promises made regarding land settlement. The sum of £600,000 had been spent hv the Government in the purchase of private estates, and land for which over £OOO,OOO had been paid had been settled. The total number of ’settlers placed on the land in consequence of these transactions was 104 and the cost worked out at about £4OOO per settlor for land alone.

The Government had promised to find a solution for unemployment, but had it been found? A Voice; “No.” Mr Coates said there was more unemployment. today than whan Reform, ■went out of office. It was impossible to settle tho question, in a haphazard manner. A Voice: “They are paying 14s a. day, don’t forger, and you paid only 9s and 125.” Mr Coates; “Yes, we paid it, but It should never have been interpreted as an attempt to reduce wages. Tho wage earners of the country wore secure with the Reform Party. We only wanted to effect a saving on the country's overhead expenses.” An Interject or; “Mr Sterling, for instance. ” Reverting to tho Government ’s borrowing policy, Air Coates said it was of no use saying that Reform, borrowed £7.1,000,000 in a contain number of years. Reform had to borrow heavily to meet the demands of the post-war reconstrncition period. No undertaking of a, public character .was put in hand by Reform which was not of sound economic value. However, the United policy of borrowing £70,000,000 swept the people off their feet and upset the whole political apple-cart. An Jntcrjector; “And you lost your job.” Mr Coates: *• May I. say 1 am still Leader of it he Reform Party (applause) nn.d Leader of the Opposition. We were willing to give way and— An inferje<■ tor (iron!cally); “ Yes, you were.” (Laughter.) Mr Coates; “Yes, we were glad and pleased to give an opportunity to a new team.” A. Voice: “Tell me the old, old story. ’ ’ (Laughter.) Mr Coates; “Very well, then, you can read what wo said at the time.” He added that he had said a* the time, of leaving office that so long' as the proposals made by the United Partv were for the good of New Zee • land 'the Reform Party would be found helping. The party which went out of office in 1928 left the country in such a position that the incoming

Government was aide to tackle the next big proposition.” After dealing with railways, the Reform Loader replied to tho Minister of Public Works on the score of the cost of North Auckland roads. The Minister would find that roads in the North could nor be built in moving, difficult country at a price similar to the cost in other parts. Rpeahing of land settlement, Mr Coates outlined the Reform Party’s legislation of 1928 and explained the scheme which Ihe party had in mind. He believed there was room for thousands of .sinall farm families in the Dominion today. •