LABOUR'S POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22963, 15 February 1938, Page 15

LABOUR'S POLICY

INTEREST OF VISITOR

ENGLISH PARLIAMENTARIAN TRADE AND DEFENCE "I am a great admirer of the vigorous initiative taken by the New Zealand authorities toward an improvement in the standard of life of the people of the Dominion and toward a greater measure of security both for primary producers, industrial workers and other sections," said Dr. Hugh Dalton, Labour M.P. for Bishop Auckland, Durham, and chairman of the British Labour Party national executive during 1936-87. who arrived from Sydney by the Awatea yesterday. Dr. Dalton attended a conference of the Empire Parliamentary Association in Sydney.

Dr. Dalton said he was looking forward with very great interest to meeting again members of the New Zealand Government whom he had had the pleasure of seeing in England last year, particularly the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash. The Labour Party in England was anxious to keep in the closest possible touch with all the Dominions and not least with New Zealand. "We believe that much can be done to develop trade on a basis of planned exchange, free from exploitation by middlemen and other unproductive elements, and in bringing closer together the peoples of the Old Country and overseas," he added. Dealing with armaments, Dr. Dalton said that in the present troubled state of the world and in view of the threatening attitude! adopted by several States toward their neighbours, including openlv expressed contempt lor inteinational.law, the British Labour Party was firmly of the opinion that Great Britain should be powerfully armed in order to play its part both as a member of the League, of Nations and of the British Commonwealth in the defence of peace, democracy and the British Constitution. Dr. Dalton added that he believed that the British Labour Party would make substantial gains at the next general election. The party had made great progress during the past year.