ELECTION POINTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22719, 4 November 1935, Page 7

ELECTION POINTS

“One of the first things the Labour Government will have to do when it takes oflice is to strap the Unemployment Board,” said Mr F. Jones, Labour candidate for Dunedin South, in an address at St. Clair on Saturday evening. “ The board is just there to do the dirty work of the Government. The Labour Party is going to look after the unemployed, and to do that we will have to run tlie board ourselves.” It would be the definite policy of the Labour Party to take over the banking system in New Zealand and cause it to operate in the interests of the people. — Mr C. L. Hunter, candidate for Manawalu. During a general criticism of the Government’s administration of the unemployment policy under successive Ministers Mr W. Duncan, Democrat candidate for Wellington East, inserted a word of faint praise for the present Minister in charge, Mr S. G. Smith. “ I have met all the Ministers who have had charge of it,” he said, “ and I will say this for Mr Smith —he is a poor statesman, but he has the interests of the unemployed at heart.” An opinion that not one-tenth of the legislation passed by the present Government for the purpose of assisting the farmers had been of any benefit to theni was expressed by Mr F. Jones, Labour candidate for Dunedin South, in an address at St. Clair on Saturday evening. He said that, in spite of all that had been done in the past four years, the farmers were still in a hopeless position, and according to the report of the Dairy Commission 50 per cent, of them were almost bankrupt. “Are you in favour of the abolition of the Upper House V ” This was a question put to Mr R. A. Wright, candidate for Wellington Suburbs, at a meeting he addressed at Karori on Thursday night. “No, 1 am not in favour of its abolition, but 1 do favour its election by the people,” replied Mr Wright, who added that he did not like the present nominative system.

According to Mr F. Jones, Labour candidate for Duuedin South, In an address St. Clair on Saturday evening, a serious attempt is being made to bring immigrants to New Zealand, and if the present Government is returned to office that attempt will be put into effect early next year. Mr Jones said that when questioned about his activities in this direction when in England recently, the Prl ~ Minister had denied that he had discussed the possibility of bringing immigrants to the Dominion with the British Government, but in an interview in Wellington he had stated definitely thai he had discussed such a proposal with t:J.e' Imperial authorities. It had also been stated by Mr Coates that a body of a p tisans could quite easily be brought to New Zealand from England.

“ It is claimed that you can finance guaranteed prices by costless said Mr J, N. Massey. National candidate for Franklin, when addressing electors at Aka Aka. “ It is. admitted by all leading economists and writers on monetary questions that there is no such thing, for immediately you inject more money into the economic bloodstream up go price levels and the public pays for the new credit in higher prices for goods and services.'’ A tribute to the action of Mr W. Downie Stewart, a former Minister of Finance, was paid by Mr R. A. Wright, Independent candidate for Wellington Suburbs, speaking at Karori last week. Mr Wright said that the raising of the exchange rate had caused Mr Stewart to resign from the Ministry. “ Mr Stewart was one of the finest fillisters of the Crown New Zealand ever had,” he said. “ He was straight, honourable, and reliable; a man of broad views, not carried away by any illusory schemes, but a sound business man, and it was a loss to the Cabinet and to New Zealand when he re signed.” The electors who attended one of Mrs Knox Gilmer’s meetings in Wellingb a last week were provided with a laugh right from the start. “ I would like to introduce to you Mrs Knox Gilmer.” said tho chairman (Mr G. Clarke), “I don’t think she needs much introduction. She has introduced herself to Wellington for a great many more years than any of us can count.” —(Loud laughter.) Before the laughter had died down the chairman continued: “ She is such an old identity ” He got no further, for Mrs Gilmer smilingly interposed: “ Oh im, that is not right. You are getting deeper.”— (Prolonged laughter.) There had been a reduction of the public debt by £1,3(10,000 over a difficult period—the saving of £1,300,000 in annual charges as a result of internal and overseas conversions—and a further sum of close on £0,000,000 at present hearing interest at 0 per cent, would be convertible next year.--Mr C. A. Monk (National Government candidate for Otaki), on the Government’s sound finaneial administration. Speaking a few nights ago, Mr J. Ormond (Independent Nationalist, Waipawa) said he strongly favoured preferential voting. With qualifications ho defended the Government, measures designed to assist the farmers, and considered it urgently necessary that larger areas be split up into one man holdings in the interests of men with experience, also the introduction of capital for the development of poorer land. Land tenures were in a “ pretty mess ” which would take many years to right, but that way was not by confiscation as had been advocated in some quarters, nor would those matters be righted by another orgy of borrowing or taxation, but by a definite will on the part of all to produce what was required at a reasonable price, and by the removal of the present barriers to that end, declared Mr W. J. Gaudin (Independent candidate for Wellington East) in a recent speech. “ The forthcoming general election is a lottery, pure and simple. No one can say with any degree of certainty what will happen. As a matter of fact, I believe anything can happen,” declared Mr R. A. Wright, Independent candidate for Wellington Suburbs, when he opened his campaign. .These remarks were made in support of his action in placing himself before electors as an Independent. In the circumstances, he said, lie preferred to reserve the right to vote on every measure according to its merits. Mr T. .1. Fleming (National Government candidate) at Morningside, Auckland: “Some of you will get a shock .when you know what the Government intends to do in future.” A voice: The Government will get tlic biggest shock. Mr Fleming: Oh, well, you know an electric shook does us good at times. The voice; But this will be an election shock. “ I heard Mr Hislop at Carterton, and I’ve heard you,” said a questioner at Mr T. W. M'Donald’s meeting in Greytown, “and I cannot sec any similarity between the two speeches.” Dir M'Donald is Democrat candidate for Wairarapa.

The high exchange had been a mixed blessing for the farmer. The rinsing of the rate had been dictated from Australia, which was now benefiting by taking New Zealand’s trade from Great Britain.—This is the opinion of Mrs Knox Gilmer, Independent candidate for Wellington North.

Mr John Miller, National Government candidate for Invercargill: “You will be told that a change of Government is wanted. A change to what? Do you want a Labour Government? Those who vote for any party but the National Party are assisting to put the Labour Party in power. Most of you will have read the promises put forth by the Labour and Democrat Parties. Contrast these promises with the solid facta and the common-sense proposals of the National Government. The policy which the Government has been carrying out during the years of stress is producing the desired results. The steps taken will ensure that New Zealand’s recovery and future progress will be on a solid foundation.”

“ We know where the Labour Party’s fighting fund comes from, and we have an idea where the Nationalists’ fighting fund comes from, but who is behind the Democrats?” was a question put to Mr T. W. M'Donald, Democrat candidate for Wairarapa, at a recent meeting. The candidate said he was not aware that the Democrat Party had a fighting fund. So far as he was himself concerned, he was paying for the whole of his election expenses out of his own pocket. When asked if Mr William Goodfellow was not financing the Democrats, Mr M'Donald declared that Mr Goodfellow was in no way associated with the party.

" New Zealand will be the apex of both tha Imperial Airways and PanAmerican Airways when the services are in operation,” said the Minister of Transport, Mr J. G. Coates, at Kiverhead. “New Zealand will then cease to be the farthest-flung post of Empire. It will not'be the isolated ‘ pig island ’ that it has been. We will be within a few days of London, within 35 to 38 flying hours of the United States. This will bring about an entirely different conception of the Empire and the world from what we have had. When our early settlers came out the voyage occupied from three to six months. Now it takes five or six weeks by direct vessels, but in a few years people will bo landing in New Zealand in five days after starting from England.”

In answer to a question about the Orepuki shale works, Mr J. Hargcst, National candidate for Awarua, said that there was no mystery and nothing sinister about the inactivity at the works. It was purely a matter of business. The New Zealand Coal and Oil Company held a 66 years’ lease of the deposits dated from 1899. It had yvorked the deposits for two years, but owing to the broken nature of the shale the cost, inst md of being 3s 6d a ton ns estimated, was 18s. The shale yielded 38 gallons of oil a ton and 291 b of sulphate of ammonia. Owing to the cost it had been unprofitable to work and therefore had closed down. The only place where shale was worked profitably for the production of oil was in Scotland, where the shale was unbroken and yielded 100 gallons a ton. In New South Wales the shale gave a yield which was about ns good, but it was a fact that the treatment of 600,000 tons in 1"?0 had fallen to 600 tons in 1924, and the works had practically ceased to operate. A few years ago an enterprising sharebroker had tried to raise capital for n comp.in. to take up an option on the works on advantageous terms, but investigation showed that the deposits could not be handled profitably and the capital was not forthcoming.

"If you can find a Labour member o" Parliament who has done more for tho workers and their wives than I have —then show mo him,” said Mrs Knox Gilmer, Independent candidate for Wellington North. Proceeding, the candidate declared that she tvas going to make an oldfashioned election fight of it. She would keep personalities out of the campaign and would fight on her merits. She appealed to her hearers to cut on: “ this woman business.” Anyhow, she had as much intelligence as any man in the House to-day. By the time the candidate reached her policy she had the audience in happy mood. Mrs Gilmer reiterated her first point made at an earlier meeting—her advocacy of the humanities. Under this head she emphasised the need for the care of mothers and their babies. New Zealand should safeguard the St. Helens hospitals and encourage motherhood. An elector: There are too many babies, now. Glaring round the hall in search of the owner of tho voice, Mrs Gilmer shouted; “ Who said there are too many babies? Where are you?” Encouraged by the applause the candidate subdued the interrupter, who, however, reappeared unabashed when Mrs Gilmer was referring to the importance of the five-year-olds. Her antagonist offered the opinion that there were too many schoolchildren. “How many children have you got?” doi .aided the candidate. “ Sixteen,” was the reply. “ Well, you deserve a medal,” was Mrs Gilmer’s comment.