ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19615, 20 October 1925, Page 7

ELECTION CAMPAIGN

THE HON. W. DOWNIE STEWART. ADDRESS AT BURNS HALL. GOVERNMENT’S EXCELLENT RECORD. LABOUR PARTY’S CLAIMS ANALYSED. ENTHUSIASrnC TOTE OF CONFIDENCE.

The Hon. W. Dowme Stewart, who for the past 11 years has represented the constituency of Dunedin West in Parliament and who is now for the fourth time offering his services to the electors, opened his election campaign in Burns Hall last evening. Mr T. Scott presided over an audience that completely filled the ground floor of the hall and overflowed into the gallery. They gave Mr Stewart a most careful and attentive hearing, and there was a great outburst of applause at the close. The appearance of Mr Stewart on the platform was greeted with prolonged applause. Sir Scott said he hardly needed to introduce to them Mr Stewart, who should now be known to every citizen of Dunedin. — (Applause.) He was a Dunedin boy, born end brought up among them, and they should be proud of the position he occupied at the present time. —(Applause.) The House was composed of politicians and statesmen, and we had a good many politicians and not many statesmen. —(“ Hear, hear.”) In their member they had a statesman —(applause)—honoured not alone in New Zealand but in Australia and America, They wore deeply indebted to Mr Stewart in more ways than one. The present position of lire Exhibition was due largely to bis influence in securing votes, and he could point to several other instances where his assistance had been of immense benefit to Dunedin.—(Applause.) In view of the cry throughout New Zealand that the present Government was a North Island one it was their duty to put in a strong man to represent the South Island. In Mr Stewart they had that man. —(Applause.) Ho was pleased to say that Mr Stewart was making steady progress towards complete recovery of his health.—(Applause.) He asked them to allow Mr Stewart to remain seated while delivering his speech, but soon it would not be necessary to ask such ■ indulgence for him.—(Applause.) Mr Stewart, who was very cordially received, said he was very grateful to the chairman for his kindly introduction and to the electors present for their friendly reception. The chairman bad been good enough to refer to his health. He was glad to confirm what he had said. His medical adviser was confident- that shortly—prcbabKby Christmas time—he would be able to walk without crutches' —(applause)—and be able to ’■•e of more service to the electors than he had been in recent times —“that is, ’ added Mr Stewart pleasantly, “if I am returned again.”—(Applause.) He thanked the audience for its generosity in giving him permission to remain seated. “£ hope, he added, “they will not repent their generosity. If it is obvious that if I speak standing I shall have to stop when my legs get tired, but if I speak sitting I can go on till mv tongue gets tired !—(Laughter.) I notice'that my opponent has said that I am standing on aver) weak platform. I have only to say that, so far as Mr Moss is concerned, the Labour Tarty’s platform collapsed under him and precipitated him from the political held. (Applause.) THE LATE MR MASSEY.

“Since this is the first time I have been on the platform since he passed away I may be allowed for the moment to refer to the death of my late chief, Air Massev, witji whom I was in close contact for a period of over four years. During his long tenure of office he won for himself the ■esteem and respect of all classes of tho community, even of those who were politically in strong opposition to him. In Imperial affairs ho took a position of great influence through his robust comtnonsensc and his sound constitutional views, and his name came to bo a household word among the people of the Old.Country.—-(Applause'.) MR COATES. His successor, Air Coates, is a man who has already wo.i his spurs in the political world by his marked administrative ability and the many reforms he had introduced in the departments under his control. There has probably been no other Minister of Public Works or Minister of Railways who has taken such pains to visit every part of New Zealand and acquaint himself first-hand with the wants and wishes of the settlers. (Applause.) Fortunately for Otago he is taking a special pride and interest in the large schemes of irrigation at present being carried out in Central Otago, and he is pushing forward these schemes with such confidence and pertinacity that the people of Otago at any rate will servo their own interests by giving the new Prime Minister united and whole-hearted support.—(Applause.) THE GOVERNMENT'S RECORD.

‘T now propose to refer briefly to tho work of the Government during the past three years; more particularly to refute the suggestion being eagerly pushed just now that we have legislated in tho interests of one class or neglected to help those who have been less fortunate in the battle of life. As a matter of fact, to allege that the Government; has only looked after the interests of one class is, "on the face of it, ridiculous, because any Government which did that would only secure the support of one class, and that a very limited one in the point of numbers and certainly unable to put any Government on the Treasury benches. You mav remember that at last election we had just emerged from a serious depression and the Government had been straining every nerve to reduce expenditure, to-live within its means, and to stabilise our finances. We have continued this policy, and each year have produced a satisfactory snrpus in contrast to many other selfgoverning parts of the Empire. The good results of this work are evidenced by the high credit which Now Zealand enjoys in tho eyes of the world, and by the many tributes which have been paid to our financial position and sound administration. Indeed, some time ago a prominent American journal declared that in its opinion New Zealand was the best governed country in the world.—(Applause.) I found confirmation of this view during my recent stay in New York, when numbers of New York bankers approached rnc with a view to seeing whether New Zealand would agree to float leans in America. They told me that, in their opinion. New Zealand was in the very front rank of desirable clients and that they would welcome an opportunity of floating New’ Zealand loans if such a course would bo acceptable to us. —(Applause.) It is well to know our credit, stands so high in American financial circles, and it may bo that some day we may wish to avail ourselves of their suggestions; but I pointed out to the bankers that, hitherto wo had preferred to deal with Great, Britain, not merely because of cur sentimental attachment to the Old Country and the excellent terms she has always extended to us —(applause)— but because our trade was almost entirely with Great Britain and with the high tariff wall which America has built up against us it would not be easy to' find means of meeting our interest and principal in America. As you know, if, is by our export trade that wo meet our obligations, and for these and other reasons it would require a very tempting offer to divert our financial business to America. SOCIAL REFORMS INITIATED.

‘■Since last election we have initiated various social reforms. For instance, last year we instituted a pension for the blind which is framed in such a way that a blind man who works is not penalised thereby, hut is encouraged to work by getting a subsidy on what he earns in addition to his pension. We have also enlarged and improved the widow’s pension ana the allowance for her children.—(Applause.) Since last election also we have completely revised the system of soldiers’ pensions, with provisions for economic pensions, special allowances to amputees, and by a very important provision to the effect that a soldier’s disability *Siiall be deemed tb be due to war service unless the contrary is proved.--(Applause.) We have increased the old-age Pension to 17s 6d per week, and the total paid for all classes of pensions involves, ns in an annual payment of over £2,500,000. We have improved and enlarged the provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Act,,

and none of these provisions can be said to be framed in the interests of the well-to-do. THE HOUSING PROBLEM. “We have done our utmost to oops with the difficult problem of housing by providing on fho most liberal terms an advance up to 95 per cent, on the. cost of the house and section of a worker. Our opponents have boon speaking very freely on this subject. It is true we have not been able to meet all the demands, but when it, is stated that in the last few years we have provided funds for the erection of over IB.OCO houses for workers, soldiers, and settlers some idea can be formed of the efforts that have been made. This housing problem is causing grave difficultyin every country and much still remains to ho done in New Zealand. Many people have been disappointed in not being able to obtain loans, but the Government, can only provide a certain amount cf money each year, and every effort has been made to meet the most necessitous cases. In the railway and public works departments a special effort has been made to cut _ and supply standardised houses at the State sawmills at a price which will enable houses to be built for between £7OO and £BOO. These houses are being supplied in the first place to the employees in the departments mentioned, but it is hoped later on to extend the operations so as to supply other sections of the community. TAXATION REDUCTIONS.

“Another direction in which the Government has successfully assisted towards restoring more normal conditions in New Zealand has been in the way of reducing taxation for the benefit cf' all classes of the community. In 1923 we removed i.ho tea tax which was imposed on British tea as a war measure, and reduced the tax on foreign tea from 5d to 2d per lb. We also reduced the duty on tobacco as from January last by 8d per lb on cut and plug tobacco. W 7 e also restored penny postage, being the first country in the world to get back to this rate of charge—(Applause)—besides making enormous concessions in connection with telegrams and parcel postage. During the war the income tax was raised to so high a figure that it tended to stifle industries and to create unployment, but in successive years we have gradually reduced this taxation from 8s fid in the £ to 4s 6d. So also with the land tax which was heavily increased by way of super-tax during the war. These reductions in the land and income tax were attacked by the Labour Party as being unwarranted; but if there is one principle on which economists are agreed in all countries it is that high taxation checks enterprise and creates unemployment and dries up the sources of revenue by various methods of evasion. Paradoxically enough, reduction in taxation very often increases the yield of revenue by encouraging output and stimulating employment. These reductions in taxation, both direct and indirect, were designed in the interest of all classes of the community, and the rc.-mlts cannot- but be beneficial to the whole of New Zealand. “We have not hesitated to prosecute trusts and combines whenever evidence has been forthcoming of their existence, as witness our action against, the Flourmillers’ Trust. Again, if the Government is under the control of the financial institutions why was it we passed the Dairy Control Bill and other similar legislation, which was strongly opposed by those whose interests were interfered with? Moreover, if the policy of the Government is dictated by the wealthy companies how does it come about that the Government Fire Insurance Department' has been reducing premiums and forcing the private companies to follow suit?—(Applause.) OTHER BENEFICENT MEASURES. “The Government has also recognised that good administration is as important as good legislation, and we have completely teorganised the railway service, pushed on vigorously the irrigation and swamp drainage works, and we have brought the administration of the Forestry Department to a stage which 'enables it to rank second in the Empire as a proper system of afforestation.—(Applause.) I might mention many other branches of public administration, notably in connection with public health and school dental clinics which have attracted world-wide attention. In immigration we have pursued a steady and successlul policy, bringing in such number's of immigrants annually as the country can absorb without creating unemployment. I have quoted enough, however, to show that whatever our critics may say, the Government has made steady progress in social reform, humanitarian legislation, and sound administration. —(Applause.) LABOUR PARTY CLAIMS. “To turn now' to the claims of the Labour Party They have put forward a programme filled with spectacular promises and panaceas for all the evils of society. Before dealing, however, with. their programme I notice that Mr Holland and other Labour speakers allege that the Labour Party is making rapid progress; but this statement is flatly contradicted by one of their own members. After last election Mr ,T. M'Combs, M.P.. pointed out that the Labour Party had actually lost ground, because their total votes only increased by 14,000, while the votes of those opposed to Labour increased by 55,000. He also stated that Labour polled a smaller percentage of the total votes than it did at the previous election, having fallen from 23.8 per cent, to 25.4 per cent. In analysing the figures he pointed out that a false idea of progress might he gained from the number of seats won. which had increased from eight to 17, but this v.a? merely a piece of good fortune in many constituencies. If the voting actually continued to go as it was the party far from being victorious, would end tip nowhere. Moreover, he emphasised the fact that, as we had just come through a very heavy depression, necessitating unpopular retrenchment, everything was in the Labour Party’s favour, and he ended up by asking the question whether the political programme was at fault or whether the avera-ge working class elector w’as too apathetic.' If such serious criticism as this can come from within the »ranks of the Labour Party itself surely it is obvious that with all their glowing promises and appeals to class prejudice the electors realise that it is wiser to trust the affairs of the country' to a party less lavish in its promises, but earnestly endeavouring to assist and benefit all those who have been less fortunate in making their way in the community.—(Applause.)

THE ELECTORS' DEFINITE GHQJCE. “The issue at this election is really between the Labour Party and the Reform Party, and the electors have a definite choice to make. The Labour Party believe that the present organisation of society is all- wrong, that capitalism should be abolished, that private enterprise should be replaced by State enterprise, that land and industry should be nationalised, and on their programme they advocate State shipping (service, State bank, State farms, free medical service, free legal service, and so on. On the other hand the Reform Party believe that the present system of society, with all its faults, has proved too valuable to discard. It is a system which at least, works; that is to say, it provides a vast number of people with a means of livelihood, with housing, with all that its civilisation has produced; whereas wo have no guarantee that the Socialists' programmecan do these things. (Applause.) On the contrary, any experience we have of the Socialists’ programme points in the opposite direction. The Reform Party believes that the powers of the State should Lie freelv used to check monopolies, to prevent exploitation, and to supply the deficiencies of private enterprise, but apart from that if believes that the best results are achieved from private enterprise and initiative and the encouragement of the individual.—(Applause.) The Labour Party wish to abolish capitalism, but the Soviet Government in Russia tried to do so, and found it necessary to invite and encourage private capital back again. Moreover, when the labour Party speaks of abolishing capitalism they merely substitute State capitalism for private capitalism. Therefore, unless they confiscate the existing capital, they must buy out the existing industries and the land-owners with Stale bonds, and the private individual still remains a capitalist: with this advantage ; his capital is now guaranteed for all time by the Stale, though lie might not make as much profit as he did before; but not only is the capitalist not abolished, but apparently the consumer is not benefited, as the experience of Australia shows that nearly all the State enterprises .are worked at a loss, and what the consumer may get in reduced prices he must make up in increased taxation.-—(Applause.) Recent figures from Australia showed that all the State enterprises had lost £7,000,000 or more of money. But not only is the capitalist not abolished nor the consumer benefited, but apparently the wage-earner is no better off. He has merely exchanged one boss for another. We should ve eery chary of extending in that direction unless it can be shown to be absolutely necessary to do so.—(Apolause.) The late Mr Samuel Gompers, who for 40 years controlled the destines of the Americifti Fedsration of Labour, steadily refused to listen to the voice of the Socialist, and one one occasion told them; “Economically you are unsound: socially yon are wrong; and industrially you are an impossibility”—(laughter)—and ended up by saying that while capitalism delivered the goods, Socialism never would. LABOUR PARTY’S PROGRAMME. “Let us, however, examine the Labour Party’s programme in more detail Ob-

viouely their programme, or even a tenth of it incolves the expenditure of vast sums of money, and the question arises where is the money to dome from. Now, there arc only three ways in which the State can raise money to buy out existing industries or to start new ones. First, by borrowing; secondly, by taxation; and thirdly, by the issue of notes through a State bank. It, is the third of these methods—.namely, the State bank — that the labour Parly relies on. In fact. Mr Holland says lie will reduce borrowing and get his funds from a State bank. My answer, to that is: First, that although they have a State bank in Australia the Labour Governments (here still llnd it necessary to resort to the London money market for the funds they require. It therefore seems 1 unwise for the Labour members to continually denounce the great financiers and the bankers as financial crooks and parasites. I saw recently that. Mr Langstone, M.P., had denounced the London money market as being composed of ‘lmperial vultures of finance.’— (Laughter.) If (hat is so it will look very awkward for the Labour Party to have to go to these people tor finance. —(Applause.) Cut let us examine the State Bank. I have no objection to a State Bank, but it lias no magic wuni with which to create money, or if it does create money to a greater extent than trade and commerce warrant, it produces inflation, which means high cost of living and all the evils we saw at work during the war. And yet Labour candidates in Dunedin were actually asking that we should repeat the experience of the war and issue plenty of paper money.

“During the depression of 1921-22 the State Bank of Australia rendered far less service to the primary producers ant to the manufacturers than did the hanks in New Zealand. The Labour Party think that the bunks enjoy a great privilege in being allowed to issue notes, but in point of fact the banks arc taxed,.on their note issue, and would far rather use gold if this was permitted.

“But if the I ..hour Party think that the banks arc exploiting the public why do they not enter into competition with them?—-(Applause.) They are constantly pointing out that the State Bank in Australia and the State Insurance Office started with little or no capital, while according to the ‘Maoriland Worker the Labour Party has already raised thousands of pounds for a party election fund, and aims to raise £25,000. There is plenty of ability in the ranks of the workers, and with such a sum they could easily start their own factories or insurance companies and rob the present institutions of all their profits if their contention is correct. —(Applause.) LABOUR’S I,AND POLICY.

“I now come to the Labour Party’s land policy. A great deal of discussion this election has centred round this land policy. Indeed, in this electorate, it was the cause of Air Moss’s retirement. In Dunedin South Mr MacManus defended himself by saying he had confined himself to the official explanation of the policy, as otherwise ho might involve himself in heresy.— (Laughter.) “I remember when the Labour Party used to divide their platform into a fighting platform and a general platform, to both of which its members were pledged. I once asked a leading member of one of the Federal Labour Cabinets in Australia how he could subscribe'’to such a platform, and he said quite cynically: ‘Well, what happens is that we attend the annual conference, and try to restrict the fighting platform to a few items of practical politics, and then we leave the faddists and extremists to put what they like on the general platform. It is true, we are bound by that, as well as by the fighting platform; but we take the risk that we will not be called on to support, those items.’ Each party must judge for itself how best to attain its objective; but in my opinion the methods of the Labour Party must force out of its ranks all men whp, want to think for themselves or else lead to hypocritical silence for the sake of safety.—(Applause.) ... “ Coming back to the land policy of the Labour Party, it. seems to be a sort of cross-word puzzle. We read in the Bible that Nebucadnezzar called on Daniel not, merely to interpret his dream, but first of all to tell him what the dream was; which was about as hard a task as could well be given to a man.—(Laughter.) But the candidate who has to interpret' the Labour land policy has an equally difficult task. He has to reconcile irreconcilable provisions and contradictory policies. But the key to the puzzle is not very difficult. I he Labour Party has tried to construct a political pianola which will play anv tune vou put on it.—(Laughter and applause.) If you are a farmer you find absolute security of tenure, which shall be interminable, and freedom, from the moneylender. __ If yon are a land nationalise!’, you will nnd. the policy provides that all the rents of the land belong to the State. I need not labour all the aspects of their land policy; but past political experience in New Zealand and Australia has shown that, nothing will satisfy the farmer but the freehold, subject to' restrictions against aggregation. The downfall of the Liberal Party here was their attempt to create a State tenantry, who as soon as they became; numerous enough demanded the freehold. Labour Governments in Australia have had to yield on the same point. No system of valuation for improvements will satisfy the fanner that he is getting justice. In fact, there is more to be.said for municipalisetion than for land nationa isatiou. for in the cities a man uses the land for a site for a business or a- home; his improvements can be valued to the last brick; and we know in Dunedin where the city owns valuable business sites, that tenants willingly accept leasehold tenure. But m the country, where drainage and other immovements are easily lost sight of the farmer is never content without, the freehold He has a passion to own his own property, and there can be no objection, so lonTas be pays his fair share of taxation. —(Applause.) t “COMMUNITY CREATED VALUES “Then we are told that the object of Hie Labour Party’s land policy is to secure to the community all values created by the community: but tho people 'yho rcally create the value of New Zealand lands ore the people of Great Britain who buy OUr products and if any one is entitled to these values it is the people of Great Britain. (Applause.) To realise this, you have only to suppose that our market with Britain was cut off and the values of our lands would drop to almost nothing, bo what is the use of talking about community created values? It is easy to talk of communitv values, but if land is enhanced m value bv the erection of a dairy factory in a district and of a school and a railway, how much of the enhanced value goes to the dairy factory, how much to the Education Department, and how much to the Railway Department? MR HOLLAND’S FIGURES ANALYSED. “Speaking on the land question at Dunedin lasi: week Mr Holland quoted figures with the object of showing that land monopoly is rampant in New Zealand; but the figures quoted by him do not in any way support his conclusions. He tried to show that 60 land owners held an average of more than 80.000 acres each and quoted other figures to the same effect; but in these figures be has mixed up the largo pastoral leases —sheep country, where it is well known that a run-holder may have to occupy 100,000 acres in order to graze 2000 or 3000 sheep. In fact, the tables in the New Zealand Official Year Book show that the larger properties are being cut up, and that in the. lasi three-or four years some 2,000,000 acres have ceased to be used as pastoral land and are now used as dairying land; and while the number of pastoral holdings lias fallen from 42.000 to 36,000, the number of darying holdings has increased from 29,0C0 to 38,000.—(Applause.) Also, if the figures are examined showing the number and size of sheep flocks in New Zealand, it is shown that the number of large flocks is constantly decreasing and (he number of small flocks increasing. Mr Holland said there was no freehold in New Zealand but only mortgage-hold in the hands of the big financial institutions; and lie ((noted figures to show that the lamb in New Zealand valued at £569,000,000 odd were mortgaged to the extent of £269,000,000 odd. Mr Holland thought that very disastrous.- (“Hoar, hear.”) Everybody knows there is a constant process going on, both in town and country, ofpeople buying land with the aid of borrowed money, which they gradually pay off. This is surely a reasonable and a oroper thing, and Mr Holland does not suggest how else they are to acquire their properties. He makes the astonishing statement that the. financial institutions and capitalists would fight to the last, ditch against any idea of the land being used for the main purpose of producing commodities for the use of the people. Such a statement, is against .all reason and against, the interests of the financial institutions. (Applause.) The more land is list’d and the more produce that is obtained from it, the better for nil parties, and it is ridiculous to suggest t’t.at the interests of the financial institutions would be forwarded by the land remaining idle. People who lend money on land, whether if, be country or city land, serve a useful and necessary purpose in the development of the country, and Mr Holland fails to rnako clear who is to take his nkiee. TANATION REDUCTIONS. “Mr Holland and his colleagues continually condemn the reduction made in diroct taaa-

tion, but they invariably fail to mention that, while we have reduced the land and income tax we have also reduced Customs taxation by the abolition of the tea. tax and reduced the tobacco tax and the amusement tax, and made many reductions in the post and telegraph services. The statistics show that the higher incomes in New Zealand are more heavily taxed than in Australia, and the small incomes more lightly taxed, and that taxation is fairly distributed according to the financial ability of the individual. But the reduction of the land tax and the income tax was justified, because this taxation had reached a stage when it threatened to strangle industry, prevent development, •>’ create unemployment. At its highest point, it meant that some taxpayers, either companies or individuals, were paying about practically half their income in taxation. Further, it has been pointed out frequently over 40 per cent, of the income tax is naid by companies, and the Commissioner of Taxes has made clear that the shares in these companies are so distributed among people who have small means, that, if they were separately assessed for income tax on the amount of their incomes, the great majority of them would pay no taxation at all. A still more glaring and unwarranted statement is being made by every Labour candidate both in Dunedin and elsewhere to the effect that, while we have been reducing direct taxation, we have been shifting the burden on to the wage earner's through Customs taxation. They say that because the Customs yielded £5,503,0C0 in 1922 and and nearly £-.000.030 in 1924, therefore Customs taxation has been increased. In point of fact, this statement is absolutely without foundation, because the Customs tariff has rot been touched since 1921, except to make one or two minor alterations, and the increased duty is due to the increased imports and not to any increase in the rates of duty. In fact, as 1 have stated, during that period we have taken the duly off tea and reduced it on tobacco. I have again and again pointed this out to Labour members in the House, and have challenged them to mention a single item in the tariff which they were prepared to strike out, and they were at a loss to indicate any item which ought to bo reduced or wiped out. — (Applause.) The whole effect of the re-' vision of the tariff in 1921 was to still further reduce the duties on the necessities of life and to free up items, such as children’s boots, and the charge that the reductions granted in. the land and income tax have been made up in increasing the Customs duties is entirely without foundation and most unfair. —(Applause.) STATE SHIPPING. “ I will take one other item in the Labour Party’s platform—State shipping. Now, there is something to be said for a State ferry service, as this would give Government control from Auckland to the. Bluff; but even so, it ’ must be acknowledged that the present ferry service is admittedly one of the best in the world and one of the cheapest. But assuming the Government launched out into the vast and intricate question of general shipping, surely the best guide to New Zealand is the experience of other countries. The Australian Government 'bought ships which cost over £II,OCO,OCO, and in 1923 they 7 had to write off a loss of £7,000,000, and sine© then they have lost in working the ships over another million, bringing the total up to over £8,000,000. If wo turn to Canada we find that its fleet of ships cost £16,000,000, and its trading losses for 1922 were nearly £500,000, and the total losses up to 19214 amounted to £7,000,000. The United States also tried the experiment of State shipping under a Shipping Board, and in 1922 the chairman of the board stated that the United States was at the point of bankruptcy as a' mercantile marine power, and ■ asked Congress for a subsidy of £8,000,000 yearly, -which was refused. The' total loss to America in her shipping venture has been estimated at £570,000,000 —pounds, not dollars.

LABOUR’S EXTRAVAGANT PROPOSALS.

“It is because of the extravagant nature of the Labour Party’s proposals and the huge orgy of borrowing that would be necessary to carry out even a small part of their programme that the electors of New Zealand have so far refused to trust them with the administration of the country’s affairs. The fact is, all that is sound and feasible in the way of social reform and improving the conditions of the wage earners is being carried out as opportunity and funds permit by the present Government.—(Applause.) Moreover, I have frequently pointed out that so long as the Labour Party is content merely to repeat the jargon of the Continental Socialist about the class war, the proletariat, and wage slavery instead of devising a programme suitable to the conditions of New Zealand it will fail to gain the confidence of the electors, Speaking of wage slavery,; it is a curious, thing that the Labour Party-demand that the Government should; find work for everyone who wants it, which we do to the utmost of our ability and finacial resources, but rio sooner do wo provide them with work than they turn round and declare that we arc creating wage slaves.—(Laughter.) Surely it is better to provide work at suoh wages as the country can reasonably afford than to produce a condition of affairs such as exists in Russia, where they seem to have the slavery without the wages.—(Laughter and applause.) IN CONCLUSION. “The record the Government has established shows that it has the well-being of tho people at heart, and it is useless for our critics to try to make out that we are operating in the” interests of one section of the community.—(Applause.) We are carrying on .sound, progressive, humanitarian legislation. I say that the record wo have established is one that will warrant the confidence of the electors being extended to' the Government for a further term, and that if the public will examine in detail the proposals of the Labour Party they will not consider it wise or expedient at the present lime to entrust it with the affairs of (he country.”.—(l ,ttd applause.) ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS.

"In answering questions, the majority of which obviously came from a’ small Labour section, Mr Stewart said that the suggestion that the reduction of taxation was a reduction to the wealthy was not borne out by the statistics. Oyer 70 per cent, of the taxation was paid by companies, 50 per cent, of the shares of which were held by people who would pay no income tax at all. It was quite misleading to say that it was a reduction of taxation to the wealthy at the expense of the .poor. The evidence of any success in Russia was due to the peasants’ refusal to have their lands nationalised, and so they had broken the whole scheme down. Lenin had admitted that land nationalisation had failed and he had tried to bring back private capital. Any success in Russia was being attained not because of the Soviet scheme, but in spite of it.—(Applause.) • The wheat-growing industry in New Zealand was one of our most difficult problems. The Government had strained every effort to make the industry profitable to farmers. It had been found tint whenever we became dependant on Australia for our wheat up went the price. It was important if we could avoid it not to be dependent on outside sources for our wheat. Part of the difficulty arose because other typos of farming in New Zealand had been found more profitable than wheal-growing. He though! they were justified in importing 3,000,000 bushels, but they were, anxious that wheat-growing should not be abandoned in the country. “Another question led Mr Stewart to give a brief outline of the history of the formation of the Arbitration Court'. As long as the court, through the period of rising wages, kept putting the wa"es up the workers thought everything was lovely, but when the court could no longer do that then they began to doubt the efficacy of the court. They favoured a sliding scale of wages so long as it slid only one way.—(Applause and laughter.) The Arbitration, Court ought certainly to he kept out of politics. He thought that the present constitution of the court was very fair. In answer to another questioner ho pointed out that if Parliament were to interfere with details of awards it, would never bo done sitting. , “What are you there for? came a brusque retort. —(Loud laughter.) When the laughter subsided Mr Stewart remarked smilingly: “The trouble is I am net there just now. I am trying to get there!”—(Laughter and appla-use.) Mr Stewart said he was not, prepared to advocate the abolition of land agents as they had a very useful purpose to serve. The Government’s immigration policy was that before tin immigrant came out, he was required to have wages, a job, and housing guaranteed lo him. Quite a lot of people came out for whom the Government was not responsible, but the Government got the blame if thov could not find houses. Ho did not advocate a State bank largely because the Government already had controlling interest in a bank. A State hank could not yield anything like the results that its advocates hoped for. THANKS AND CONFIDENCE. Mr C. W. Hayward proposed a very hearty veto of thanks and confidence to Mr Stewart, and briefly referred to the splendid work ho had done for Dunedin and the Dominion.—(Applause.) Mr W. J. Croft, who seconded the motion, said that Dunedin West had been exceedingly fortunate in boii,'g represented by Mr Stewart,— (Applause.) He deserved their v—N cs t thanks and confidence.—(Apfilauso.) '

The motion was carried first by acclamation and then by an overwhelming majority on the voices, there being only half a dozen “noee” in fho building.—(Extended report by arrangement.)