THE EFFECTS OF LABOUR RULE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23591, 30 August 1938, Page 8

THE EFFECTS OF LABOUR RULE

ro THE EDITOR Sir,—lf your correspondent read my letter without prejudice I am sure he would have commenced his reply in a better frame of mind. He should bear in mind in future that abuse is no argument. He should discuss the points fairly and squarely and back up the party he fancies best suited to carry on the affairs of State _ for the benefit of all concerned. Political parties should be judged on their actions, and if they are found wanting, a change is all for the best. Political parties in power too long have a tendency to outlive their usefulness. “ Citizen ” accuses me of assisting to drive a wedge between employer and employee but he is not looking far enough hack. The Tory Government many years ago, assisted by the Employers’ Association, the Chamber of Commerce and the Farmers’ Union, continually opposed the workers in their struggle for better wages and conditions. These strong forces reached their goal when die Arbitration Court was destroyed and as a result we had wholesale wagecutting and poverty which does not tend to create good feeling between the classes. Evidently “Citizen” was one of the lucky persons who did not notice what was happening and perhaps did not care. He is correct in saying that by reducing one's staff, output is reduced, but he did not mention the heavy importations which were arriving from overseas. Your correspondent Is still worrying himself about how Mr Savage will manage during the next slump. He must have been hard hit during the last one. Mr Savage will let the people know in good time what he will do if “ Citizen’s ” slump does arrive: he will not make the sorry mess the Nationalists did. In my last letter I asked " Citizen ” to quote instances of squandering of money by the Labour Party, but he avoids it, knowing he has no case. He merely uses a Tot of words which mean nothing and thicken the fog that seems to surround him. The defeat of the Nationalists was not, as he states, due to the splitting of votes by the Democrats. I wish to remind “ Citizen ” that the 70,000 who voted Democrat definitely did not want the Nationalists back in power. In any case, your correspondent should study the figures before making such rash statements. The Labour Party polled approximately 37.400 more votes than the Nationalists and Democrats combined, and in the electorates where the polling was close between Labour and National, “Citizen” cannot claim that the National Party would have received the majority of the votes cast in favour of the Democrats had the latter not been in the field. The Nationalists were not defeated because of the depression. but because of the gross mismanagement of public affairs during the depression. “ Citizen ” is evidently a blind follower of the Nationals and thinks they can do no wrong, but he should know something of their past and how they have squandered public money. Speaking in the House in 1919, Sir Joseph Ward said: "In my opinion the Tory Government is driving this country headlong to destruction.” Now £ 14,500,000 is a prodigious sum to spend for land purchase for soldiers within one year. How true Sir Joseph's warning was. Under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1923, provision was made for the revaluation of soldiers’ holdings and in all the sum of £7,020,284 was written off—a present to the wealthy landowner. 1 ask “ Citizen ” whether he approves of business of this kind and whether he shed tears for the poor taxpayers then. I think this is the other side of the picture which he does not see. In 1928, Mr Forbes said: “ God help New Zealand if Mr Coates comes back again as Prime Minister.” It was not long before the two joined up as Coalitionists. Between them they carried on and caused no end of trouble, with poverty, which New Zealand had never experienced before, and 75,000 unemployed. This is the policy of which “ Citizen ” approves and Mr Forbes says he would do it again in similar circumstances. In 1933, “ The Old Gang ” issued a circular to the farmers asking for assistance for its party funds and stressed the point that the then Government had helped them by depreciating the currency of the country through the exchange rate and advanced every reason why they should contribute owing to their increased returns. The circular was signed by

Messrs H. D. Acland, Arnaud McKellar, H. S. Livingstone, C. P. Agar and Norton Francis, all prominent “ slump Government” supporters. One year later Mr Coates stated in the House that 50,000 farmers were bankrupt and a farmers’ Government had been ir. power for three-quarters of a century with a national debt of £287,000,000 There was surely something wrong somewhere, but perhaps “ Citizen ” will be able to tell us something about it. “ Citizen ” will probably say, as he said before, that the above does not call for a remark—a Tory method of dodging the point.—l am, etc., August 29. Elector.