PLATFORM OF LABOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20081, 19 October 1928, Page 15

PLATFORM OF LABOUR.

REFORM POLICY ATTACKED.

MR. M. J. SAVAGE'S CAMPAIGN

FINANCES OF THE DOMINION

The official campaign of the Laboiu Party in the Auckland West electorate was opened by Mr. M. J. Savage, deputyleader of the Parliamentary Labour Party, at the Britannia Theatre, Ponsonby, last evening. The large audience gave Mr. Savago a good hearing for nearly three hours. At the close be was accorded a vote of thanks and renewed confidences by applause. Mr. S. Adeane presided. Mr. Savage said he did not «sk for any quarter in this campaign and be was not going to give any, but it would bo all fair and no hitting below the belt, ihe United Party candidate opposing him had said he would vote against tho Government on a want of confidence motion. If he did ho would set up a new record.

Dealing with tlic national debt, Mr. Suva go said the Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, was taking credit for relieving tho Linden of taxation on the people and claiming that generally speaking everything in tho country was lovely." Tho Government was taking credit for having reduced tho war debt, but whatever ill effects would nriso from the war debt would go on for ever. With regard to tho Slate Advances debt they got a return for that, and if that was partly paid off the return would come in just the same. The benefit of the State advances loan would go ou for ever. The Public Debt. Instead of keeping the burden of the debt down tho Reform Government had increased it. In round figures, when tho Government assumed office tho national debt was £84,000,000. Now it was £251,000.000. If they deducted £81,000,000 borrowed for war purposes there was still an increase of the public debt of £86,000,000 or an average of £5,250,000 for the 16 years of office of the Reform Government. "The Prime Minister's promise stands," quoted Mr. Savage. "So it does. It has been standing ever since" (Applause arid laughter.) Since its election in 1925 tho Coates Government had put £23,500,000 on to the public debt, or an average of almost £8,000,000 a year. They were borrowing at a far more rapid rate than had their predecessors. Sir Joseph Ward had gone to tho trouble to alter his statement about borrowing £70,000,000 to say ho would borrow it in eight or ten years. That was just what the Coates Government was doing, so what was the difference? Tho present Government was borrowing £8,000,000 a year and Sir Joseph said "make it ten." That was all the difference. Balance of Trade. Tho Prime Minister claimed to have reduced taxation, but in tho seven years ending 1927 the aggregate of taxation had increased from £16,250,000 to £17,500,000. Indirect taxation had increased by 20 per cent. The increase came on the big families and the small incomes. Tho Government said New Zealand was a going concern, and that the balance of trade was all right. But the interest bill on loans outside New Zealand amounted to £43.000.000 for tho period from 1921 to 1927. That did away with all tho boasted credit balance. For seven vears ending 1927 New Zealand was £25.000,000 to the bad. The Minister of Finance had stopped paying interest on post office deposits of over £2OOO, in spite of promises made in Parliament, and as a result during the last financial year the withdrawals had exceeded the deposits by over £3,000.000. During tho same period the deposits in private banks had increased by £5.000.000. The Government could have made that money available to the State Advances Department for the use of the people at 4£ per cent., and realised a profit ou it. Labour would have kept that money in the savings bank, even if it had to raise the rate from to 3J, per cent., and have made* it available to farmers at 41 or even 5 per cent. The Government of the day represented the big financial interests, and therefore the State Advances Department would never become a serious competitor of the privato banking institutions. ' . Immigration Question. The Government's immigration policy had been responsible for flooding the labour market, and the Government had been misrepresenting the position. Il was not true to say. as a Government | pamphlet did. that there was "a large amount of Crown land suitably loaded and subdivided always available for selection." Speaking of lads on farms the pamphlet said they would always be able to obtain liberal advances at a low rate of interest from the State Advances Department. Mr. Savage said he had about 35 people in his electorate asking if they could not possibly get something out of that department. "Artisans in the building trade are sure of good employment," said tho pamphlet. He had been giving relief from the Hospital Board to artisans that afternoon. "The average working man with a family of three and an income of £7 10s a week pays no income tax," stated the pamphlet. That was the kind of picture painted in this official booklet, 'Brighter Britain of the South." It would be laughable if there was not a tragedy behind it. Somo of the conditions in this country beggwed description. Tho Prime Minisi ter's promise stood, and there were thousands of workers who were getting too weak to stand. (Applause.) Another part of the booklet said it was the function of immigration officials to see that immigrants were suitably housed and found employment. He wished those officials would attend to their job. Coming to the Labour Party's policy, Mr. Savage said the primary and secondary industries must be developed if they were (o solve the unemployed problem. Labour's job was to make land availablo for tho landless, and not to do as tho Reform Party did—buy out one farmer to put in another. The Labour Party said the land must be procured for closer settlement. The power was already on the Statute Book, and it was only a question of administering it. Labour's Land Policy. The Government had never taken land compulsorily, but had acquired it at much abovo its value. The Labour Party would not disturb tho freehold, but if an individual monopolised laud il was the duty of tho Crown to step in and take tho land for the people. If there was one thing more than another that Labour stood for .it was the ownership of the home by the occupier. Labour proposed to extend the activities of tlie Stato Advances Department and to remove restrictions from the Public Trust Office and the Post Office Savings Bank. The Public Trust was one of the finest institutions in tho land, but private enterprise wanted to curtail its activities. Labour believed in national health insurance, but the Government did not believe in it. Labour wanted to provide an improvement in old age, widows' and soldiers' pensions. A pension should be given as a right and not as a charity, and should bo available to every citizen at,a certain age. The money would come from the people themselves. Labour wanted the Workers' Compensation Act established as a national compulsory scheme, providing full medical attention and full wages. Labour promised full encouragement and support to primary and secondary industries. A country's first line, of defence was population, and Labour's aim was to populate tho country with people able to earn a living.