DEMOCRAT PARTY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22198, 27 August 1935, Page 11

DEMOCRAT PARTY

STATEMENT BY LEADER MR. HISLOP OUTLINES POLICY NEW EMPLOYMENT SCHEME "FREEDOM OF INDIVIDUAL" [BY TELEGBAPH—SPECIAL BEPOBTER] WELLINGTON, Monday The official report of last week's conference of tho Democrat Party was released to-day by the Dominion organiser, Mr. A. E. Davy. As was stated Saturday's Hebald, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, Mayor of Wellington, is the leader of tho party. He has issued a brief statement outlining tho aims and objects of the party. It is also announced that the conference decided to appoint a deputyleader for each island. Mr. W. A. Veitch, M.P. for Wanganui, has been selected for the North Island, but tho selection of the deputy-leader for the South Island has been deferred. In his first official statement, Mr. Hislop says that the two parties comprising the Government have forgotten the principles for which they originally stood and have followed a policy leading to socialistic and bureaucratic control of the people. The Party's Policy "We have adopted a comprehensive policy, the full details of which I shall announce shortly when I take the platform. Our policy has been arrived at with a due regard to the economio conditions of the country. We have avoided both parsimony and extravagance. We nave had the assistance of former Ministers of the Crown, former heads of departments, leading experts, and by no means least, practical, experienced men of affairs. While thoroughly appreciative of the different - problems that have confronted th« Government, we hold on major issues fundamentally different views as to the manner of their solution."

The outline of the party's policy ii given as follows by Mr. Hislop, who indicates that it will be amplified later "Exchange.—We propose, as soon as possible, and having duo regard to existing conditions and to the position of traders and local industry, to allow the exchange to reach its true economic relation with sterling. Thus wo shall remove from the people of this country a crushing burden, inequitable in its incidence and destructive of trade. "Assistance to farmers. —We have a sound and definite scheme to assist tha individual primary producer by a different method and to the fullest neces* sary extent at a much smaller cost to the community, and with, less injury to our relations with the Mother Country than obtains under the present inequitable and inadequate system. We propose to break down the barrier created by the present Government between town and country. ' Mortgages and Taxation "Temporary mortgage adjustment.— We intend to create machinery to afford the necessary temporary relief to mortgagors without involving either the confiscation of capital or equities or the undue harassing of the farmers involved in the present Mortgagors Final Adjustment Act; at the same time, we shall preserve the spirit of the sanctity of contracts. " Taxation. —The sales tax and the gold duty tax are to be removed, and the general incidence of taxation reviewed so that the wheels of industry may again be set turning, freed of a ' crushing load. " Unemployment. —We have pro--pounded a definite scheme that will, through tho channels of public and in particular private employment, return within a short time all fit men to their normal occupations at normal wages. * In place of the present spirit of ' defeatism ' displayed by the Government, we have complete confidence in the soundness and efficacy of our scheme. " Returned Soldiers.—A definite scheme has been prepared to recognise and meet to the full the long-deferred and just claims of the returned soldiers. " Public health and welfare.—A comprehensive hospital, health insurance, and pensions scheme is to be introduced. " The Maori race.—A scheme to meet the just claims, too long deferred, oC the Maori people. " Local bodies.—An immediate investigation for the purpose of re-forming local body government, so long promised and never done .by the present Government. " Parliamentary reforms. —The introduction of more businesslike methods in our Parliamentary system, together with a review of the number of members of Parliament and reforms of the Legislative Council. Encouragement oI Industries " Manufacturing industries.—The protection and encouragement along certain definite lines oFeccnomic manufacturing industries in this country on the principle of a balanced national economy.

" Education.—The provision of increased facilities for the education of children along more practical and useful lines. In this respect, to ensure in conjunction with our employment proposals the absorption of boys and girls leaving school into normal channels of production, trade, and industry; to revert to five years as the school commencing age." " All the above proposals and other items of policy have been subjected to the closest examination and checking by competent authorities, and completed for the platform," Mr. Hislop states. " They comply with sound principles of public finance. There has been, through interested quarters opposed to us, exaggerated talk of dissension in the Democrat Party. In the formation of any party some differences are bound to arise. To-day there is no party in this country more loyal and more strongly united in the pursuit of a common ideal than is the Democrat Partv.

"We are a party new in name, but our principles are not new. Wo hare before us this objective—the good of the country. We shall change neither our name nor our principles. We shall in this campaign follow no petty courses, indulge in no mere personalities or intrigue, but we hope to raise the tone of the discussions of our national affairs to a level worthy of our people. "We believe fundamentally in the greatest possible freedom of the individual and the fewest possible shackles upon his legitimate activity. We believe aliso that the general good is the supremo aim. We believe in the equal and not the partial sharing of the burden of troubled times and of the fruits of ultimate prosperity." The official report of the conference of the Democrat Party candidates states that the party witl go to the polls in full strength with a complete complement of candidates, a sound and praoticnl policy and a most able and distinguished leader.

The publication of the names of r;u»dic'lates and the seats for which thev will stand has been left in the hands of the divisional executives.