Labour Will Follow Same Road At Same Pace-Nash

Northern Advocate, 5 November 1946, Page 2

Labour Will Follow Same Road At Same Pace-Nash

j At Mission Bay last night a ques- | tioner asked the Minister of Finance | iMr Nash) how far Labour would go along the road to ultimate socialism !if it was returned with a working | majority. Mr Nash replied: ''We will follow the | same road to the same degree and at j the same pace as for the past 11 years, and with the same results." Replying further to the question about ultimate Socialism. Mr Nash said there was no suggestion that Labour would socialise everything and take ever every factory. The road to ultimate Socialism was along the same track as that which the party had travelled since 1935, and Labour planned to travel along it until it had freed everyone from every imaginable worry from which they could reasonably expect to be free. FARMERS’ INCOME The Minister, developing an argument that all sections of the community were better off under Labour, said that this applied in both town and country..; There was not a dairy farmer on an economic farm and with a reasonable herd who was not making 50 per cent '■ more than he was in 1935 : Mr Nash, to illustrate the prosperity I of a farmer, mentioned a sharemilker j of his acquaintance who was making I £2(l a week. An interjector: And how much do you take out of that? (Laughter). ! When discussing housing, Mr Nash j was several times interrupted by a man who asked a question, which could not be clearly heard, about state houses and the possibility of acquiring the freehold. The Minister said there ! was no chance of Mr HolVnd putting into effect his housing proposals, involving particularly low rates of interest, because his friends would not allow it. He knew where the support of the National Party came from —from the money groups of the country. It did not come from the labour unions or f he working classes. NATIONAL SUPPORTERS "I know who is supporting the National Party,” Mr Nash added. “They are very few, but have a lot of money.'' A supporter: Why don’t you take a bit more off them. Walter? Mr Nash (sadly): I can’t. (Laughter). Referring to future plans. Mr Nash said the Government was planning to make all the newsprint required in New Zealand, and the tyres, except for a few odd sizes. The Government had also invited an oil company to distribute oil in the country, and an agreement had been reached .although not yet signed. The Government had three main points of interest in the scheme. The first was that at times of national peril it would 1 have the right to determine what should be done with tne oil; secondly, it had the right to appoint half the directors; and, thirdly, the Government would get half the profit on oil soid \ in New Zealand by the company. : “We are determined to guide to the < maximum possible extent all the trade !

(Special) AUCKLAND. This Day

we can to Britain." Mr Nash said, in discussing import control and licences. "We have given a preference to Britain that no other country has. It is not true that we are shutting goods out." MARGARINE "I cannot see margarine '-eplacing butter in half a century." the Minister said in reply to a question about substitute hits and fibres. He said that he could visualise margarine as a competitor. As far as wool was concerned, it. seemed to be coming in instead oi going out. “The proposal about Bretlon Woods is that it will come before the House of Representatives and the Government will make no decision until it has the will of Parliament. ’’ he answered another questioner. Bretton Woods was not an organisation of private financiers. Only Governments could be members. and its objective was to stabilise all currencies within a tolerance of 10 per cent. These he considered desirable objectives.