General Election

Northland Age, Volume 5, Issue 5, 1 November 1935, Page 3

General Election

Mr. Rushworth’s Meetings

Mr. Rushworth has had a successful' opening to his election campaign. He addressed Opua and Fuketona last week-end having a good attendance of supporters in each case. On Labour Day he addressed Maromaku, where over 50 were present; Towai, where a good crowd gathered in the hall to greet him ; and Hukerenui, where in spite of the fact that the funeral of the lost child had been held during the day there was an almost capacity crowd in the hall. Mr. Rushworth gave addresses on the 29th at Riponui, Russell and Helena Bay, there being good attendances and interest taken at each place. At Helena Bay, where Mr. LcClerc was chairman, there was an exceptionally large audience for the size of the district.

Addresses were given at Paihia and Kerikeri on the 30th. At Paihia an unusually large audience assembled , at Kerikeri over 100 were present. Mr. Rushworth spoke on election topics and received his usual attentive and courteous attention. Later he attended an evening party given by Mrs. Samson at Waimate North, where he presented the prizes of the golf season.

Clive Cameron’s Campaign

Mr. Clive Cameron, National Government candidate for the Bay of Islands electorate, commenced a tour of the northern part of the electorate on Monday. During the morning Mr. Cameron met a number of people on the Kaitaia bowling greens, and in the afternoon he attended the Labour Day sports at Waipapakauri, when he presented the two silver cups won in the chief events of the day. That evening he was present at the dance in Kaitaia. At Ahipara Hill on Tuesday morning, Mr. Cameron had his first meeting in the district, when over GO electors gathered and the candidate was given a most attentive hearing. That evening another successful meeting was held at Takahue. During the oay he visited various farmers in the Ahipara and Pukepoto districts. On Wednesday evening a wellattended meeting was addressed at Fairburn, the electors in the hairburn and Victoria Valley areas being called on during the day. At Paranui in the afternoon and at Peria in the evening further meetings were held at which Mr. Cameron received a most cordial reception. The homes in these and the Oruru districts were visited during the day. On Friday Mr. Cameron is to visit Lake Ohia and Kaingaroa, at which places addresses will be given. Fern Flat will be visited on Saturday morning, Kohumaru in the afternoon, and Mangonui in the evening ; at each centre Mr. Cameron will address the electors. Mr. Cameron’s Policy In his various addresses, Mr. Cameron met with a very cordial reception, and he was listened to with great interest. In his opening remarks the candidate referred to the tragic death of the late Mr. R. B. Russell and the reasons for his, Mr Cameron’s, taking up the banner of the National Government in this electorate. He was not a seasoned politician, but he thought he possessed qualifications that fitted him to be the people’s representative in Parliament. First, his knowledge, from personal activities on local authorities, of the unemployment problem ; second, a sound knowledge of farming, and the difficulties at present facing the farmer ; third, his experience on local bodies ; fourth, his confidence in the present Government’s ability to carry on the

government.-of the country.on sound lines, and to steer the state successfully through the present difficult times. The party in power relies on its achievements ; the party in opposition, o.i destructive criticism and by making; promises impossible to fulfil. The ' year 1928 saw the beginning oi the fall in export values of our expojrts and the consequent decline in national income, and revenue and the resulting unemployment. The farmei endeavoured through increased production to meet this decline in prices. 1. fall in values and revenue was e , veously met in New Zealand,

and the Government by sound and prudent measures had gradually weathered the storm and the country was now on a comparatively good footing, with an increase in values. These measures were brought about by the forming of a National Government. At a time of crisis, party differences were sunk for the good of the country.

The Government’s chief concern was the farmer, and immediate steps were taken to assist him and various Acts were brought down with this end ir. view'. The Government did all in its power to help the farmer, and if there was any fault to find in these Acts it was in the administration, not in the policy laid down by the Government. Assistance had been given to local authorities and so to the ratepayer—the 121 percent rebate on rates and the authority for loan conversion to a very low rate of interest were two examples of this assistance.

The raising of the exchange rate had given the New Zealand farmers £9,000,000 of New Zealand currency per annum increase of revenue, and this increased purchasing power had assisted all members of the community. Speaking of the legislation passed for the relief of unemployment, Mr. Cameron said that these Acts gave the w'idest possible assistance to the men who were unfortunately, and through no fault of their own, out of employment. The policy laid down by these Acts was sound, and any fault could be traced to the local administration, and did not rest with the policy. In concluding his addresses, Mr. Cameron briefly traced the achievements of the present Government, and the prudent policy they had pursued in guiding the country through the years of depression, so that the people of the Dominion were in a better position than those in the majority of other countries, and the Dominion’s credit overseas was firm. Rural finance had been placed on a sound footing and through the reduction in interest rates the f armer had been saved £1,500,000 annually. The issue at this election was definite : either the present National

Government or Labour. The National Government with its record of sound achievements or Labour with its vague promises the chief of which was guaranteed prices for the primary producer. The method of carrying this last promise out was very vague, as one Labour leader quoted one method and another a different method.

For the ordinary man to offer criticism of the Government’s action in bringing down various Acts that might not be popular was perhaps hardly fair. The country was passing through a critical period, and these Acts were drafted by men who had full knowledge of the position and who were convinced of the need of these measures to rehabilitate the country ; and in fact these measures had proved sound and had put the country on the road to recovery.

Various questions were asked the speaker, and these were satisfactorily answered.

Regarding returned soldiers’ pensions, the Government had already brought down legislation dealing with what were termed “burn-out” men, and as a returned man himself, Mr. Cameron said that he was naturally biassed in favour of these men.

A part of the petrol tax had been used by the Consolidated Fund during a time of financial difficulty, and unless this had been done the Government would have been forced to reduce social services and pensions. When the necessity had passed, then

all the petrol tax funds could be used for the roads.

In reply to a question regarding the exchange rate, the speaker said that the present rate, 25 percent, had been of great benefit to the primary producer and had not been seriously felt by the whole population, but if the rate were increased to, say, 35 percent then this burden could not be borne by the population without difficulty. Mr. Cameron said he was strongly in favour of the derating of farm lands. Replying to a question in regard to monetary reform, the speaker quoted from the Royal Canadian Commission that sat to investigate this problem : “There is no laboratory in which monetary reform can first be tried, it can only be tried on the lives of human beings, and if it fails then untold misery results.” Would it be wise to try this experiment in a time of depression? concluded the speaker.