NEW ZEALAND LABOUR PARTY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 10 June 1926, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND LABOUR PARTY

LEADER’S PRE-SESSIONAL Address

(United Press Association.)

. iVESTPO&T.. June X Mr H. E.-Holland, M.P., Leader of. the Parliamentary Labour Party, delivered a pre-sessional address last night, the Mayor presiding, He said that the opening of tlie present Parliament would mark a new era in New Zealand polities, since for the first time in the Dominion’s history the Labour Party would occupy • the official Opposition benches. He thought that the Liberal or National Party would rapidly disappear, its oflieial elements drifting into the Reform camp and the Radical section of its rank and file going to the Labour Party. He dealt at some length with (lie question of unemployment, which lie said was becoming a very real problem. Every man able and willing to work was entitled to demand employment, and when private capitalism broke down to the extent that it left willing workers unemployed It was the duty of the State to see that work was found for them. The science of government consisted in making and administering laws in such a way as to accord to every citizen equality of opportunity in this respect. Ever since there had been a Labour movement it had demanded work at standard wages for men who were involuntarily unemployed. Work so found should be reproductive and of economic,, Value',, otherwise it would not be worth doing. When Mr Coates arrogantly told unemployed workers that they would not get. standard wages, but, in effect, only what the Government, chose to give them, be was not only offering an insult to the men but by implication was flouting the Court which fixed a standard bv law.

Mr Holland strongly resented the charges made by the Prime Minister and the Hon. A. D. M'Leod that Labour members who sought to find work for unemployed citizens were only doing it for political purposes. On the contrary, lie said, they were acting Coiisistentlv with the well-established right-to-work principle of the Labour movement, and the Government would not be permitted to escape from the consequences of its own ineptitude by the use of a worn-out erv of that sort.

He declared that the Opposition would challenge the Government on its acting in sending to the Legislative Council renegade Liberals, whose appointment was a reward for having held the Reform Government in office after being defeated by the votes of the people in 1922. They would challenge flic Government on its action in heavily raising the rate of interest on State Advances loans; on its penalising public servants who stood as Parliamentary candidates by only permitting them to return to work at reduced wages; on its continued dishonouring of the Lab our clauses of the Peace Treaty, and on the censorship of literature uncensored in all or nearly all other British countries, and the partisan administration of the law in connection with the censorship. They would also strenuously object to the High Commissiohship being used as a plum.to be given to a Government supporter, irrespective of his qualifications for the office. Sir James Parr’s garrulous propensities, let loose as soon as he landed in London, had already called forth a rebuke from the West Australian Agent-General, ,be f cause of misrepresentation with respect to a large group settlement in Australia. .

After dealing witji.a number of minor matters, Mr Holland .concluded with.a lengthy reference to incidents connected with tlie Geneva Protocol and Security Pact, and declared that the Opposition would, stand for both Parliament and people being consulted before being committed to any policy of Imperial or international import.

He was accorded thanks and congratulated on his leadership of the official Opposition.