LABOUR PARTY'S AIMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19748, 22 September 1927, Page 14

LABOUR PARTY'S AIMS.

"POLITICAL ADVENTURERS."

PLAIN SPEAKING BY MINISTER. AUSTRALIA AS EXAMPLE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] NGABUAWAHIA, Wednesday. Speaking at Ngaruawahia this evening in the interests o{ the official Reform candidate for the Raglan seat, Mr. A. H. Waring, the Hon. A. D. McLeod, Minister of Lands, said that since arriving in the district he could see that farmers generally were beginning to realise that their differences of opinion in minor matters were bringing about a grave risk of the return of a candidate who, however moderate in his expressed views in the campaign, was pledged up to the hilt to the extreme Labour platform. This included, among several planks opposed to the best interests of primary producers, the pushing forward for a maximum 40 hours weeks of five working days and had as the main objective the socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange. " People have told me." said Mr. McLeod, " that even among the keenest supporters of the Liberal, Country Party, and Independent Reform candidates there was the admission that they did not hope to see their particular nominees elected, but that a bit of a bump to the Coates Government will do no harm because of the large majority." Unemployment in Australia. That was the old cry used by astute political adventurers which, in Australia, for instance, had kept Labour in office in five out of six of the States more or less for the past eight or ten years, said Mr. McLeod. Time and again in the different States_Jjabour minorities, not only in the electorates, but in the various Parliaments, were able to retain or gam office simply because the opposing political sections were broken up into country versus city, free trade versus protection, and so on. As a result of these differences of opinion in matters of detail there was not wanting evidence that the various states in Australia were galloping at break-neck speed toward a depression which even the most optimistic feared to visualise. The Minister had recently visited Australia and he had no hesitation in saying that unemployment over there was greater than in New Zealand, but was less advertised, mainly because for political reasons the Labour Governments in office smothered the true position by employing men at full union wages on works of little or no permanent value to the country. Those politically opposed to Labour hesitated to make political capital out of a condition of affairs which could not fail to have a serious effect on the credit of Australia. Real Issue For Electors. "The real issue before the electors, not only of Raglan, but of New Zealand as a whole, is, are we by our failure to agree upon matters of detail more than of principle going to bring about a political position which unfortunately has obtained in most of the Australian States for years," continued Mr. McLeod. "Over there, although the extreme Labour Party is in the minority, not only in the electorates, but also in the several Parliaments, its members, by their adhesion and preparedness to sink sectional interests, are able to hold the Treasury benches in five out of six States. By excessive borrowings and the payment of full union wages to unemployed, mainly on unproductive works in and round the larger cities, they hsive been able to keep temporarily out of sight the racking depression with which even to-day Australia, in the eyes of responsible men, is faced, and which alone is being postponed by insatiable borrowings. "Although the States have not had cast upon them the responsibility of any borrowing for the great war, that being a Commonwealth responsibility entailing the borrowing of about £350,u00,000, and although they have not had the responsibility lor post-war bor rowing for defence and much of the postal extensions, as well as many public buildings, yet for the 12 years, subsequent to the great war outbreak, up to June 30, 1926, the States' public debts have grown from £317,000,000 to £642,000,000 — an increase of over £54 per head of population for the State borrowings alone. Position in New Zealand. "In no examination of their figures can ! I find of any borrowings rendered necessary by such as State Advances to Settlers and Workers, that class of lending being from the States or Commonwealth savings banks' deposits, and does not appear as a public debt as it does in New Zealand. For the same period in the Dominion our gross debt has risen from £100,000,000 to £240,000,000, or an increase of £140,000,000. Deducting from that admittedly large sum our war borrowings and borrowings for State Ad vances and Workers, amounting to over £100,000,000 in the 12 years, there remained under £40,000,000, or about £3O per head. "Again, 1 say the issue is clear, If you desire to see returned the Labour candidate, who is pledged to the extreme Labour platform, which I have quoted, then vote for him. If, on the other hand, you wish to see sanity in government along lines of no class-hatred, aiming at giving the greatest good to the greatest number within the capacity of tbe industries, both primary and secondary, to pay, then I ask of you to cast your votes for Mr. Waring, the candidate selected by yourselves. Do not be led away by the cry that the Government has a big majority and one seat won't make any difference. It is the cry of the political opposition worker or the weakling afraid to back his own opinions as being the best."