A VIGOROUS DEFENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23335, 29 October 1937, Page 9

A VIGOROUS DEFENCE

GOVERNMENT'S POLICY UPHELD LABOUR'S CRITICS REBUKED DR D. G. McMILLAN'S OPINIONS About 700 people assembled in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall last evening for the purpose of hearing, to quote the advertisement, "an address by Dr D. G. McMillan, M.P., on the national health insurance. Get your information first-hand." The meeting began at 8 o'clock, and at five minutes past 9, after an hour's discussion of the virtues of the Government and the failings of its critics, Dr McMillan remarked, "And now a word or two about national health insurance and universal superannuation." It is true that at the outset the speaker said he wished to remove a n lsconception that might have arisen as a result of the advertisement. They might have thought that they going to hear the details of the proposed legislation. That was impossible for obvious reasons. What he vvanied to do was to deal in a broad way with the general principles mderlying that legislation. He then lau ched into an impassioned defence oi the Government and poured ridicule on its opponents. A MAYORAL EULOGIUM The speaker was introduced by the Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox), who said Dr McMillan possessed one of the most alert minds that it had been his privilege to meet in public life during the 25 years that he had been associated with public affairs. He had the facility for seeing things that ought to be done for the public good. Foresight in itself did not represent genius, but what was remarkable about him was that he succeeded in getting the things done. When the history of the health insurance legislation of this country was written it would be then known that the man who succeeded in organising and carrying out the programme was the member for Dunedin West, and when this was accomplished, he ventured to say that it would be the greatest piece of humanitarian legislation placed on the Statute Book for a period of 40 years—its only rival piece of legislation, to his mind, was the old age pensions scheme, introduced by Mr Beddon—a piece of humanitarian legislation that just managed to survive the depression and then only by considerable curtailment of the benefits. Probably had the Government of the day had the courage to put its wishes into effect it would have abolished the measure altogether. The speaker that night was one of the men of whom it could be said that he was making great sacrifices for the country. A young man with a lucrative practice could find no personal charm in occupying a seat in the House of Representatives. It was only loyalty to the great ideals of Socialism and to his party that kept him there, and the fact that he was the real sponsor of both the health insurance and universal superannuation. "I hope that one day," the Mayor concluded, " the doctor will be taking part, not only in moulding the policy of this young nation, but that he will be called to take a place in the Empire councils where he can give the world the benefit of his industry and enthusiasm." A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS

Referring to the advertisement with respect to the meeting Dr McMillan said that he feared the impression had been given that he would give details of the legislation. Possibly as far as those concerned with the calling of the meeting were concerned it had been a case of the wish being father to the thought, but they had let their enthusiasm run away with them. Obviously it was impossible, for him to divulge the details of the legislation. For one reason, that could not be done with regard to any Bill that had not yet come before Parliament, and, secondly, the Government's policy with respect to national insurance had not yet been drafted. The Government had promised to consult interested organisations before making any final decision, and it had no intention of departing from that promise. What he wanted to do that night was to deal in a broad way with the principles underlying the legislation rather than with details.

The speaker then introduced the subject of his election platform, and from that moved freely to the problem of unemployment which, he said, would never be solved until they achieved a completely Socialistic State. He admitted, however, that a certain amount could be accomplished under a capi'alistic system, and proceeded to outline all the Government had done in two years. He then submitted reasons why the Government should not concern itself with saving for a rainy day. Reserves of money were useless to a community as a whole. The only worth-while reserve was a reserve of productive capacity, which, with the economic system the Government was now organising, would provide a protection for New Zealand in future when it began to rain overseas. The speaker also told his audience that everyone was in every way better off than he was two years ago, and yet everyone was pessimistic. That was simply because the memory of the depression was still too fresh in their minds. When that memory faded they would have complete prosperity. He then turned his attention to the National Party for some time, commenting on its desire for a return to sane Government and its own inability to provide anything of the sort. From that it was a short step to the same organisation's advocacy of "sane and sound finance." which provided him with an opportunity to produce a budget of figures concerning what he described as wasteful public works, land purchase transactions, loan conversions, interest payments, and other exn rt "djture Several letters from clerics in various parts of the Dominion lauding the ethical and spiritual values resident in the Government's legislation were also read, and the speaker spoke scathingly of the oast Governments attitude regarding returned soldiers and the nationalising of transport He said that at present the Opposition was merelv trifling with the public and he often wondered how long people would put up with such humbug For two weeks in the House they hammered away at a no-confidence motion and then at the end of it when they were offered an election, they had the effrontery to say they did not vant one . • .. _,„., On the subject of taxation Dr M Millan said a lot of people, were getting alarmed Taxation was not harmful. In fact, many people would be harmed by a reduction of it What did it matter if New Zealano did have the highest taxation rate in the world? It was not true, but would it matter .'. it were? China had the lowest, but who wanted to live like a Chinaman? "Taxation has not yet reached its limit in New Zealand," he said "It is obvious that there can still be large increases in income tax before anyone Is seriously harmed." The speaker devotee 1 some timt to an analysis of company balance sheets to show how little cause business firms had to complain about the Government's punitive taxation, and said that the financial position of most big companies had been improved bv Labour legislation In a vigorous defence of the Govern' ment's public works policy the speaker touched on a great many projects which he described as useful and necessary, and after a brief discussion .if the' Standards Institute, which he said he would like to see applied to adver tising. he indulged in some strong criticism of the Chamber of Commerce, which, like the newspapers, held that nothing the Government could do was right. He suggested that people should consider the influences that contributed to the conclusions arrived at by the chamber, and also its aims in actinu is it did. After quoting extensively from a Chamber of Commerce pamphlet Dr M'Millan turned his attention to " a word or two about national insurance and national superannuation."