WAIKATO CONTEST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22259, 6 November 1935, Page 15

WAIKATO CONTEST

DR. ANNETT'S VIEWS

OPPOSITION TO LABOUR GOVERNMENT CRITICISED [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Tuesday Opening his campaign before a good attendance of residents at Matangi last evening, Dr. H. E. Annett, Democrat candidate for Waikato, criticised the record of the National Government. He said that the limit of reasonable taxation had been passed, and the community was hemmed in by too many restrictions. In order to balance the Budget the Government was prepared to go to any length and the burden was crippling the taxpayer. "It is an extraordinary thing to me that farmers should think of voting Labour," said Dr. Annett. He challenged his audience to look round the world and find any country where farmers were prosperous under Labour rule. In Denmark the Labour interests had interfered with the farming community until primary producers were now in a worse position than those in New Zealand. Referring to the Country Party, Dr. Annett said he naturally had sympathy with this organisation but lie did not think it had sufficient support to affect the issue.

' A plea for a better understanding of the advantages of immigration was made by Dr. Annett. He said that contrary to popular opinion the right type of immigrants would not increase unemployment, but rather tend to improve the labour position. During the last few years Canada and the Argentine had attracted settlers who had brought millions of capital into those countries. At present New Zealarfd was over-capitalised and the best way of improving the position was to increase the population. During its term of offica the Government had wasted millions on unproductive unemployment schemes, said Dr. Annett, and unfortunate legislation bad frightened persons wishing to invest capital in laud and industries. There was £60,000,000 on fixed deposit in the banks, but at present this could not be coaxed oji to the investing market. The Democrat organisation was prepared to form a National Development Council to examine new schemes in order to test if they were financially sound, and thus assist the expansion of industry. Asked whether he would vote with the Labour Party to put the present Government out of office, Dr. Annett replied that this question was not as simple as it seemed. He would certainly assist Labour to defeat the Government, but he was definitely opposed to the Labour policy and certainly did not want to see this party in power with a 'strong following. The candidate received a vote of thanks for his address.

HARBOUR BRIDGE SCHEME „MR. A. HARRIS' INTEREST "WANT TO SEE IT THROUGH" That it would represent one of the greatest financial achievements this country had ever known if the present negotiations for the Auckland Harbour bridge were completed, was the opinion expressed by Mr. A. Harris, Independent National candidate for Waitemata, at a well-attended meeting at Milford last evening. "It is my main reason for wishing to represent this constituency for another term," said Mr. Harris. "I want to see this matter through. It was one of the original planks of my platform many years ago, but I was laughed at then."

Mr. Harris said that what he had wished to convey at his meeting at Bays water the previous evening regarding expenditure in connection with the bridge was that with the increase in motor traffic it would ultimately be necessary for a considerable expenditure in road approaches at the city end of the bridge, and this, he felt sure, a progressive council would be willing to provide. The candidate criticised the policies of both the Labour and the Democrat parties. Tho Democrat policy, he said, had taken so many changes and turns that it was difficult to follow it. The party's candidates in the North Island favoured the abolition of the sliding scale of wheat duties, but in the South Island they voiced another opinion. At the outset a severe attack was made upon both the National Government Party and Labour, but it was evident now that sonje of its candidates had swung toward Labour. New Zealand was the only country in the British Empire that had been able to fully restore pensions and also tho only country that had managed to balance the Budget, said Mr. Harris. The financial credit of New Zealand abroad stood high, and this was made apparent on Mr. Coates' recent visit to England, when he was able to convert a loan of £8,000,000 from over 5 per cent down to 3 per cent. A vote of thanks and confidence in the candidate was passed. EASTERN MAORI SEAT NGATIPOROU CONTESTANT [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] GISBORNE, Tuesday Mr. Rewiti Kohere, of East Cape, a member of the Ngatiporou tribe, announces his candidature for the Eastern Mao# seat as an Independent.