AT HIS BEST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19616, 21 October 1925, Page 8

AT HIS BEST.

MR COATES AND HIS MEN.

A STRAIGHT TALK TO WORKERS,

(Feom Oub Special Reporter.) OHAEAWAI, October 19. On his way from Dargaville to Ohaeawai tho Prime Minister pulled into the big public works camp at Pukehuia. The men and women of the camp turned out in full strength, and in his address to them Mr Coates was at his best. From the time he began till tho end he held them with a racy speech. A vote of thanks and confidence was moved. The chairman s invitation of an amendment was not accepted, and the motion was carried by acclamation, practically unanimously. "My opponents suggest that my manifesto was dictated by the moneybags," said the Prime Minister in the course of his speech, "but the fact is it is my manifesto and nobody else's. Another thing I want to point out is that there is a demand for legislation of all sorts, but I am of the opinion that there is practically enough legislation on the Statute Book, and that what we want is progressive and sound administration. I«want to have a word to say in reply to the critics who say there has been too much borrowing and that a stop should Ibe put to it. The fact is that 75 per cent, of the total debt of NewZealand is interest earning, and is not a liability on the country. "New Zealand is in a more prosperous condition than any other part of the Empire. That is a fact that.cannot be denied. The really essential comparison surely must be in connection with the amount of dead weight debt. One would think, to hear some people talking, that the money we are borrowing to-day and putting into roads, railways, irrigation works, and swamps drainage was being put in without any hope of the works paying interest. If that were so I would agree with the critics that wo would not be justified in borrowing any more money for New Zealand. "Since 1912 -we have borrowed for developmental purposes somewhere about £66,000,T)00, and of that amount 90 per cent. of it is interest earning. That is something to remember when people talk to you about an extravagant Government. The other parties say they would curtail borrowing. One section says it would borrow all the money required in New Zealand. Well, in a young country it is essential to give the people every opportunity to develop in every way they want to, and if you take their money, and use it for national works you hamper them and cripple the country. The other argument is conservative, restrictive, and hopeless from the point of view of future prosperity. If we were to restrict our public works borrowing to-day we would nave to stop works in all parts of tho country. "On the one hand our opponents say they would restrict borrowing, and on the other hand they toll you that if they come into power they will finish your railways and do all Borts of things. However, they have paid me this compliment: They say they are going to follow what the Minister of Public Works has laid down, but if they mean to follow that way, why don't they get in behind us and support our candidates? It is essential that in all State undertakings there must be business management, and if there is not there is going to bo a waste of money that belongs to the people. You cannot give or get anything for nothing; everything must be made to pay 'just as the principle prevails in private business."