NO LONG FACES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23160, 5 October 1938, Page 17

NO LONG FACES

MR. SAVAGE'S CLAIM SOCIAL BENEFITS CRADLE TO THE GRATE iIUTEECAKGILL ADDRESS ''f': • ' j-jjY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] | INVERCARGILL, Tuesday y Th „ Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, was -give" an enthusiastic reception by 3000 people when >e gave an address at Invercargill this evening. After a complete rest during the week-end ho said he was now feeling very fit. Mr. & Savage 'devoted most of his address ||to the Social Security Act and the development of pensidns schemes. ) Ta 1808, said Mr. Savage, after a •' long and difficult fight, the Liberal Party established old-age pensions of 7s a week, and it had taken more VfW 20 vears to bring the amount to 17s 6d a week, tt had been reduced : b» the National Government to 15s 9d » week, but the Labour Party had t ß k e n less than 40 weeks to raise the § nnl ount to £1 2s 6d # week. Under the Social Security Act it would be 1 increased to £1 10s a week. Mr. S. 6. Smith, in his broadcast speech, had said pensioners would not get £1 10s flji, Seek; they • would only get £1 8s ' 0d because the Government would ; dednct Is 6d in tax. This was incorrect. Pensioners would receive £1 103 a week clear, and Mr. Smith knew this. Women and Oirls

"The hearts of the National Party -bleed for -women, particularly girls Vfrom 16 to 20 years of age, and they are going to exempt them from taxation," Mr. Savage said. "They do not '.'tell them, however, •,that they are going to exempt them also from the benefits of the Social Security Act." The Social Security Act would insure the individual almost from the cradle to the grave, Mr. Savage added. He traced benefits to be obtained by li'eirjs' and women during their life- " under the act, covering sickness, .fifinvalidity, unemployment, maternity .and family payments. Figures to show ■ that New Zealand been developed 'under the Labour ' were quoted. Since March, 1936, there had , been an increase of v£11,000,000 in taxation, but since then J the national income had increased by £45,000,000, leaving the taxpayer with ft credit of £34,000,000. Everybody Happy There had been slight . increases in " the income tax rate and in the graduated land tax but'nothing like the j?> increase show*, by the figure ho had qU °rain not going to split straws about the figure," Mr Savage said, "but I'll take anyone out of the audience, ifwilli him along the street, and he ' won't see one long face." •v' -The people were happy because ot - what "the Government was doing for them, and the speaker was receiving rousing reception l , because' he was the leader of. the Government, not because of any' personal election the people • could decide whether they would have another derepression or go on as in the past three years, making progress all the time. Sales Tax Question ' Discussing the, sales tax, Mr. Savage SC said this was one 'of the election he was said to have broken. 7 The people, who said that were the people who had been responsible for '' putting the sales tax legislation on the ■Statute Book. However, there had been van increase) of £454,000 in sales tax. That was because business t had increased, because more things were "Why has business'increased?" Mr. - Savage asked. "Because wages are higher. That's, why. Excuse me talking .' in this A 5 C language, but I am trying to*educate the Nationalists." The meeting passed a vote of thank-! and confidence in' Mr. Savage, the ;; Labour Party and Mr. W. C. Denham, Labour candidate ,'for, Invercargill. NOT DICTATION ■■o:o., .. - v . t ; ; ' :! FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT MR. WALKER'S CONTENTIONS • "■ ( Facing a noisy but not unfriendly audience of about 350, in the Delta Theatre, New Lynn, last evening, the National,, candidate for Auckland Suburbs,: Mr. Maxwell S. "Walker, won 'the approval of the majority of those ■present by his continued good humour and his willingness to deal with interThe .Mayor of New Lynn, Mr. . Reiman, presided. •_ dictation but regulation, said Mr, Walker, was the function of Government. It should protect the property of the people and regulate the rights of the community so as to prevent injustice. He declared that the Labour Government had obtained power, at the end of the worst slump - . that the world had ever" known by the ' .concealment of its socialistic principles. "How many men are there at present 0B public works who would be glad to settle on their own land?" asked the Speaker, dealing with the National . Party's land settlement policy. "Our policy is to subdivide Crown lands into one-man farms, and where there are T.ot enough we wiill give assistance to ■.% owners to enable them to subdivide. A The occupier in every case will be env titled to own the freehold." Dealing with the housing scheme, .'.'Mr. Walker said that there they had Mi attempt to make the community dependent on the State for shelter. Under National Government, houses would . M' made available to everyone under %'freehold tenure, payment to be spread . over a number of years. V;. jMr. Walker said that the issue was ft clear one tietween Socialism and the British principle of democracy, as represented by tho National Party. ./At the conclusion, a vote or thanks *0- the speaker for his address and or no-confidenco in the National Party was declared carried on a show of hands. ELECTORATES Jf ; INCREASED ROLL NUMBERS r —~ . j[BV telegraph—press association] CHRISTCHTJRCH. Tuesday jjConsidcrable increases in the number of ( voters in Christchurch electoral disS; Jricts are shown in the final count or ■ 'he rolls. The effective voting strength, J-ooipared with 1935, is as follows: fsri«tcl lurch North: 1938, 16,202; lS&j, 13,704; irfcrease, 2498. Christ- , church East: 15,205; 12,947 ; 2258. Cjiristchurch South: 15,140: 13,704; Mi|w> Riccnrton: Approximately 13,900; P#|l23; 777. Avon: Approximately 14,153; 637. Lyttefton: 13,964; W. 997; decrease, 33.