ELECTION CAMPAIGN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22240, 15 October 1935, Page 11

ELECTION CAMPAIGN

MR. HISLOP AT MASTERTON CLAIMS OF THE DEMOCRATS REPLY TO RECENT CRITICISM [by TELEGRAPH —PRESS association] MASTERTON, Monday The leader of the Democrat Party and candidate for the Masterton scat, Mr. T. 0. A. ttislop, addressed electors in the Town Hall to-night. He received an attentive hearing throughout, being waimly applauded. A vote of thanks and confidence in the policy of the party was carried on the voices. The Mayor, Mr; Jordan, presided, and the hall was crowded to the doors, over 800 people being present. Mr. Hislop said the Masterton constituency was unusual in- that there was almost equal representation of town and country interests. The election would" be fought on questions of principle. There ad been, he considered, a rapidly growing discontent with the political affairs of the country. Whatever improvement there had been after four years of the present Government's rule was due to improved conditions in Great Britain itself.

Unemployment Policy Regardirg tho Democrats'" unemployment policy, tho Minister of Finance, Mr. Coates, had indulged in a cheap jibe, continued Mr. Hislop, that all it did was make one moro board which, Mr. Coates said, was inconsistent with tho antipathy tho Democrats had to boards dominating the country. Mr. Hislop's reply was that the advisory council would be one of tho few boards there would bo in the country when tho Democrats assumed power. Mr. Coates had stated that he had already sot up a committee to deal with the question, but if the truth were told it would probably bo found a committee was sot up loss than a month ago. He would like to know who sat on it, what evidence it was hearing, and from what groups schemes wcro being put before it. Tho unemployment taxation tho Government had raised had not only been crushing in its weight, but carried with it a grave injustice. Women had been called upon to pay this special taxation without having any right whatever to any benefits from it. Bounty on Farm Produce

Dealing with exchange, Mr. Hislop said he know that to bring exchange back to its true relationship with sterling was a technically difficult operation, but it was a course which ultimately must be followed. As the exchange came down they would help the farmer by a bounty on his produce to at least the same degree as the exchange had done.

Since he laid down the Democrats' programme there had been a variety of comment on it, said Mr. Hislop. Hostile criticism came mainly, if not entirely, from the metropolitan press. With some notable exceptions they started out with the time-old cry, "It can't be done." The cry of "It can't be done" was always the cry of the defeated. It could be done.

Criticism made by Mr. Coates and the Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, was not illuminating. Mr. Coates had stated the Democrats' proposals would cost £22,000,000 annually. Did he mean £22,000,000 altogether, or in addition to the present cost? asked Mr. Hislop. The Government in the 1935 Budget had budgeted for a taxation return of £25,000,000 from the community. If Mr. Coates meant the £22,000,000 was to be in addition to the existing expenditure Mr. Hislop did not know how ho got this ridiculous figure. Possibly Mr. Coates had made a mistake, because a little time ago in a public statement he estimated the cost of the Labour Party's guaranteed price proposals at £22,000,000. Cost of the Proposals >

The actual cost to the Budget of the Democrats' proposals, excluding those dependent on exchange and which .would be covered by exchange costs, was not one-fifth of the ridiculous estiSate of Mr. Coates, continued Mr. islop. Further, the cost to the Budget of the abolition of the sales tax and the gold export duty, reduction in income tax and the restoration of salaries would be more than covered by adjustments they would make and the recovery which their proposals would bring about.

Messrs. Forbes and Coates and those supporting them had accused the Democrats of bringing out a policy merely for purposes of trying to catch votes, said Mr. Hislop. This ,was a cheap sneer. Neither he nor any of his party were in the contest for tho sake merely of getting into Parliament or into office. After referring to recent actions and promises of tho Government Mr. Hislop claimed that the Democrats were determined to stem the advancing tido of State control, end tho rule of innumerable boards and restore to the people the right to work out their own destinies unshackled by bureaucratic. Socialist control.

Mr. Hislop, as leader of tho Democrat Party, will undertake a speech-making tour of a large part of the Auckland Province early next month. Ho is to give addresses at the following places on tho dates named: —Northcoto and Devonport, November 4; Papatoetoe, November 5; Tauranga, November 6; Hamilton, November 7: Whakatane and Opotiki, November 8; Te Karaka, November 9.