GENERAL ELECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22708, 22 October 1935, Page 10

GENERAL ELECTION

DEMOCRATS’ CAMPAIGN MR HISLOP AT INVERCARGILL EXCHANGE RATE CRITICISED (Per United Press Association) INVERCARGILL, October 21. Except for a few seats in the gallery, the Civic Theatre was filled when the Leader of the Democrat Party, Mr T. C. A. Hislop, opened his South Island campaign and expounded in detail his party’s principles and programme in a lighting policy speech. Mr Hislop was welcomed with applause as he took nis chair on the stage. Dealing with exchange, Mr Hislop declared that he had believed at the very commencement that it was wrong in principle, and he still believed that. He had believed that farmers bad to be helped in the period of depression, but the Government’s policy was not the right one. Sir Alfred Ransom, when speaking in the North Island, had stated that in the last cxnorting season the exchange had been worth £9,000,000 to the farmers. That statement, however, was grossly misleading and utterly incomplete, avid against that £9.000,000 what had happened, asked Mr Hislop? The Dominion’s interest bill in London had gone up -by nearly £2,000,000 a year, every single service from the farm to London had gone up, a sales tax of 5 per cent., which was about 12 per cent, when the man in the street paid it, had been put on, and prices were up all round. Of the £9,000,000 not one penny had been clear profit to the farmer. At the expense both of improving the Dominion’s reputation in the Old Country, New Zealand’s best market, and putting up costs all round the exchange rate had been raised. Once the exchange had been put up it was difficult to retrieve it, as one silliness lead to another, declared Mr Hislop. “We believe,” he said, “ that we should get away from these artificialities, and we should get our money into the proper relationship with sterling. But we are not silly. We are not going round crying ‘ Off with the exchange' The Government brought in the higher rate against the advice of its own Minister of Finance, and its own Treasury. We say this Government put the exchange up, and it can’t bring it down without an admission that it is not prepared to make, and if that rate stays up the debt of this country to London is increased by £40,000,000. Our view is that the exchange should be brought to its true level with sterling. We would require the Reserve Bank, with the co-operation of the other banks, to bring about a reduction by the method, by the time, and by the degree that we think best in the interests of the whole Dominion. It is a delicate matter, and we do not intend to interfere, but leave it to the banks. We say the exchange rate should be brought down, and can be brought down. When it does come down then we shall get back our good name in the Old Country, and we shall be able by the savings in the exchange to pay to the farmer on his production a bounty at least as helpful to him as the exchange. We are not proposing unlimited bounties, for when prices are restored to a paying level then there will be no necessity for them. INJUSTICES TO SOLDIERS After dealing with the party’s national health scheme, Mr Hislop said that the Government had recently brought down after a long delay a War Veterans’ Bill, but the definite injustice to the returned soldiers had not been remedied. Every returned man who broke down, in health had to prove that his incapacity was definitely due to war service. That sounded all right in theory, but Mr Hislop said he knew of many cases where that requirement worked a great injustice in practice, and in many cases the hospital records were incomplete. Some records were not taken, while many men did not go to hospital at all. “We are going in all these cases to put the onus, not on the returned men, but on the State, to prove that illness or death was not due to war service.” NOT AFRAID OF MR COATES Mr Hislop declared that the Government had gone to the people in desperation for candidates, offering to pay all expenses and £250 afterwards. He criticised Mr Coates’s Budget, and said that for every £1 the Minister estimated to get he was £2OO out. He was not afraid of Mr Coates, and was going to chase him through the country as hard as he (Mr Hislop) could. At the conclusion of his speech a motion of thanks and confidence was carried. DUNEDIN SOUTH A meeting of supporters of Mr T. K. S. Sidey, National Government candidate for Dunedin South, will be held in the committee rooms, Cargill’s Corner, this evening at 8 o’clock. CHALMERS SEAT At a meeting of residents of the Chalmers electorate held last night Mr J. R. R. Aitchison was asked to accept nomination as an Independent candidate at the forthcoming general election. Mr Aitchison intimated that he would consider the question and give his t answer on Thursday. WITHDRAWAL OF CANDIDATE (Per United Press Association) DANNEVIRKE, October 21. Mr Robert J. Franklin, of Porangahau, who was recently announced as an Independent candidate for the Pahiatua seat, has withdrawn “ owing to unforeseen circumstances.” THE ROSKILL SEAT (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 21. Mr T. J. Fleming has been selected as (ho National Government candidate tor lloskill.