REBUFF FOE MINISTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20882, 26 May 1931, Page 11

REBUFF FOE MINISTER.

HOSTILE OTAHUHU VOTE. LABOUR DEMONSTRATION. MR. ALLAN'S CANDIDATURE. Tho United Government's candidate for tlie Hauraki scat, Mr. E. Allan, and the Minister of Labour, the Hon. S. G. Smith, who spoko in his support, received' an adverse vote al, a meeting they addressed in tho Orpheus Theatre, Otahuhu, last evening. The great majority of the 250 electors present were Labour supporters and they demonstrated loudly in favour of the Labour Party at tho close of tho addresses. Mr. R. B. Todd presided in the absence of the Mayor of Otahuhu, Mr. U. T. Clements.

Mr. Smith's speech was seized upon by interjectors at the outset and one man, who persisted volubly with questions and ironic comment, was threatened by the Minister with removal from (he hall. The meeting became quieter from that point onward and tho Minister was allowed to complete h:s speech. The Government, began Mr. Smith, placed gre;;.t importance on the outcome of the by-election. The great need of the time was a strong, stable, national Government, which Mr. Coates, by refusing the Prime Minister's offer of fusion, had declined 'to sponsor. Tho test in Hauraki therefore was whether the people wanted a powerful national Government representative of all sections of the community.

Voices: No, we don't. Why is the Government so weak that it wants fusion ? Mr. Smith: It is not right that the Government in power should be, at the whim of one party or the, other. Growth of National Debt. The Government had been eluded, the Minister added, with not carrying out all the promises made in 1928, but the Reform Party, which promised to reduce borrowing in 1913, increased the national debt in 15 years by £92,000,000, exclusive of the £81,000,000 which comprised the war debt. Moreover, Reform in office had spent £120,000.000, exclusive of war expenditure, and the country was still suffering from it.

The Minister strongly denied that the Government bad been carrying out a policy of taxing farm commodities. On the contrary, duties on farm requisites had been reduced, he said. .Nor was it correct to say that a cheeseparing policy was being carried out in respect to herdtesting. As a matter of fact, the £BOOO that was paid by way of Government subsidy for herd-testing last year would again bo available this year.

Replying to a claim that a graduated scale of wage reductions should have been introduced instead of a flat-rate cut of 10 per cent., the. Minister said that in addition to the 10 per cent, reduction salaried ofiicers in the. Civil Service were called upon to pay a 10 per cent, increase in their income tax last year and it was probable that they would be called upon to pay a further increase this year. That, in effect, was a graduated scale of reductions in salaries.

Working Man Well Off. " I suggest that the man who has a permanent job, with wages coming in, is well off when you think of the 39,000 men registered to day with my department as unemployed, declared the amid applause. " And I defy anyone to say that the. reduction in wages has not been met by a reduction in the cost of living. Any thrifty housewife will'tell you that. Voices: Not that we can see.

Mr. Smith: I can assure you (lint, the Department of Industries and Comment is now investigating tlie question of prices throughout the Dominion and any person retailing goods who can reasonably he found to be exploiting the public will be prosecuted by the Government. plause and derisive laughter). It would be criminal for anyone to endeavour to exploit the people in the matter of foodstuffs. (Labour jeers.) Sir. Smith: Let me assure you tlie Labour Tarty cannot solve your problem. Reductions in Wages. As far as wheat was concerned, the Minister added, the Prime Minister had given an assurance that 'lie duties would end to a certain extent in I'ehruary. Ihe fanners would sow under the, new scale of duties next season.

A Voice: What about the Government's other promises? Mr. Smith: No Government- in the world has made more earnest efforts to meet the position than ours. (More laughter and applause.) " I know 18s a week will not keep a. single man, nor will three days a week at 12s 6d keep a man and his wife and children.'' continued Mr. Smith. " but 1. have not got, the money and I cannot get, it. As chairman of the Unemployment Board I am doing my best- to meet the problem. Ido 11• > t, believe in low wages but, I have the, satisfaction of knowing that every man willing to work now has the opportunity of earning at, least a few shillings to buy himself food. In no country in the world have they produced a permanent solution of the unemployment problem." Sir. Smith was followed by Mr. Allan, who answered a large number of questions.

At the close of the meeting a motion was carried thanking the speakers for their address and expressing confidence in the Labour Party.

REPLY TO REFORM

COUNTRY PARTY'S POLICY. .A reply (o i'' •> allegations made by the Leader of the Reform Party, the Ft. Hon. J. G. ("'nates, and Mr. F. ait p , M.F., was made bv a party of Country Party representatives at Olahuhti last, evening. .After a delay in procuring a chairman, Mr. A. N. Macky presided. Mr. A. M. Ziman, of Cambridge, contended Hint direct taxation was infinitely superior to the more insidious form of customs duties. The proper course for the Government to take was to reduce customs duties and lower the cost of living before wages were reduced. That was the main plank of the Country Party. Denying that Mr. Coates had been personally attacked, Mr. A. E. Robinson said the Country Party claimed the right to say what it thought of Mr. Coates' political opinions and his party's policy. "Mr. Coates has said we are not playing cricket, but I suggest that he likes doing all • the batting and resents being bowled out," said Mr. Robinson. lie claimed the Reform Party's attack upon the tariff question was an unjustifiable attempt to make a quarrel. The Reform Party quoted only the occasions which suited its purpose. 110 charged Mr; Coates with insufficient care in his statements and added that if Mr. Coates had showed the slightest indication of sensibly tackling his job the Country Party would be at the back of him. At the conclusion of the meeting a vote of thanks and confidence was carried without dissent,.