THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1935. MRS BLACK'S CAMPAIGN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22710, 24 October 1935, Page 10

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1935. MRS BLACK'S CAMPAIGN

Mrs R. S. Black, who opened her campaign as a Democrat candidate for the Dunedin North seat last evening, is to be congratulated first of all on the fact that weather that might properly have been regarded by the electors as a sufficient inducement to stay by the fireside did not prevent her from having an overflowing audience. She is to be congratulated, too, on the lucidity of her exposition of the Democrat Party's policy. The first fact may perhaps be held to indicate appreciation of the worth of her public service in Dunedin. The second touches her competence to attempt the difficult task of winning Dunedin North for the new party. That the candidate is attempting a difficult task no one will deny, for she will have to persuade the electorate that the. party she represents is capable of performance on the amazingly attractive scale of its promises. And that is not going to be an easy matter. Of necessity Mrs Black's outline of policy did not differ in any material factor from that recently given by the Democrat leader, Mr T. C. A. Hislop, and it is consequently open to the same objections. Mrs Black spoke with complete confidence of the ability of the Democrats to end unemployment. A certain diffidence in its approach to this knotty problem would be excusable in the published programme of any political party. But Mr Hislop and those who have elected to follow his banner harbour no uncertainties. They claim to know —actually to know —that they can solve the riddle of unemployment, and, if given the opportunity, will address themselves to the task without any misgivings. This assurance in a political group almost entirely. inexperienced in the intricacies of government is no doubt admirable enough in its way. But a careful examination of the Democrat plan for restoring prosperity by setting the wheels of industry turning at a dizzy speed does not encourage very high hopes. Mr. Hislop and Mrs Black would go adventuring as borrowers on a prodigious scale and as spenders on an equally prodigious scale. The result, it is anticipated by them, would be such a stimulus given to industry that there would be work for all and to spare. The vision, as it seems to us, would be more likely to vanish — with the borrowed millions —than to materialise. It is desirable that industry should be encouraged to expand and reabsorb labour, and the policy of the present Government is directed toward that end. In the nature of things, however, there must be a limit somewhere. A country with a population of a million and a-half cannot support secondary industries on the scale apparently envisaged by the Democrats. For presumably the output would be intended for internal consumption, unless it is proposed that we should compete with the great manufacturing countries on their own markets —and expect them also to buy our produce. Thci'e is confused reasoning, too, in the contention that by lowering the exchange rate —which, Mr Hislop admits, is a process that would have to be effected very carefully—Ave would restore our good name in the British market and stimulate the absorption of our products, with consequent increases in price levels. Mrs Black does not explain what she means by " restoring our good name." She cannot refer to New Zealand's credit at Home, if she is familiar with the results of Mr Coates's recent loan conversion mission. And she ought to know that the British Government's mai-keting policy, so far as meat and dairy produce are concerned, is dictated by the need to protect the interests of British farmers, not by external considerations. Mrs Black dealt at length with other features of the Democrat programme, but she was at a loss when it came to making it sound any more attractive or workable than Mr Hislop has done so far. She did admit, however, that the Government had carried out its policy with good intentions, if not with observably good results. Mr Savage is not so magnanimous.