ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Opotiki News, Volume IX, Issue 954, 26 November 1946, Page 2

ELECTION CAMPAIGN

MR. BOORD’S ADDRESS CASE FOR LABOUR GOOD' ATTENDANCE The final- meeting of the Labour candidate for Bay of Plenty was held in the .Regent Hall last night, there being a very good attendance. The Mayor, Mr. T. G. Johnson, presided. There was an entire absence of interjections. In introducing Mr. Raymond Boord, the chairman said he was an ex-service-man, having been overseas for six years. He had now come back to try and help run the country aright. He was a young man with a full life ahead of him and was the type wanted for .the job. Prior to the commencement of. the meeting a party of Maori girls sang a song of welcome. As the candidate rose to speak the audience rose and sang “For He's A Jolly Good Fellow”. In his opening remarks Mr. Boord said he had done his best to keep personalities out of the campaign. Labour believed they had a better policy, much more full and lasting than that of any other party. He was present to put forward his opinions and the policy of his party. He was not there to make rash He was going to render to the electors an account of 1 what the Government had done during its term of office and what Labour was going to do when the electors put them back on Wednesday. (Enthusiastic applause). Those present had to decide who were to, be the leaders for the next three years. Labour was not afraid to look back and there should be no need to mention the state of the country when Labour took over. The first) job was to restore the economy of the country. Wage cuts were restored, the guaranteed price brought in, secondary industries encouraged, public works commenced and a housing policy started in a big way. By 1938, three years afterwards, prosperity had been restored and unemployment had been virtually abolished and would never return so long as Labour was in power. Such progress had never been seen in this or any other country in the world. There had been real progress. Farming was the basic industry of the country. Labour had brought in the guaranteed price. One thing the farmer had to battle against was th o weather. Labour had also given the former security of tenure and £B,600,000 had been taken off the burden on the farmer. At the present time farm workers were receiving four and a-half times what they received previously. -Labour had given better education and introduced the country, library service. Stabilisation had been introduced, holding many things at the same •evel. ‘ . , , Mr. Boord said his opponent had misrepresented some things and said the Government had pinched the money due ,to the farmers. The industry had agreed that any lump sums made should be at the disposal of the .Government. In regard to the “raid” for subsidy purposes, Mr. Boord said that only new subsidies were charged against the stabilisation account. Only £6,800,000 was recouped from the stabilisation account the remaining ten millions coming from the war expenses account and consolidated fund. The speaker claimed that the position of primary production had been misrepresented. What Labour’s opponents had forgotten to mention was that meat production was up by 150,000 tons. He quoted figures to show that the Rangitaiki Dairy Factory production for October was 650 tons—a record. Production for the present season, to date was also a record. There was only one way to judge a policy and that was by results. In regard to farm mortgages the farmers for the first time in history were getting rid of debt. In the best ten years under Labour’s predecessors 1640 farmers went bankrupt; In 1944 there were only two bankruptcies and last year only five. That was the result of the policy which had brought security to the fanners. He would like to say something about the workers. Not only did Labour restore the cuts but at the present time wages were the highest they, had ever been. The minimum rates of pay had been raised, increased compensation made avail" able, the paid holidays introduced and also the 40-hour week. To-aay there was peace in New Zealand industry. The country would not have industrial peace for long if the Nationalists got into power. Mr. Bool’d referred to what had happened in America recently. Finance The Labour Party had been in power for H years but.it was not broken yet. Eleven budgets had been brought forward and every one was balanced and a surplus produced. From 1920-1930 their predecessors had produced 10 budgets and had not balanced one. They had borrowed money to pay interest on money already borrowed. Labour had lived within its income for the past 11 years. During the six war. years the whole country had been turned into an armed camp. The war had cost this country £640,000,-. 000 and it had been the Government’s policy to pay for it as much as possible during the war. Only £221,000,000 remained as a- debt owed by the people to the people of this country. The first world war had cost £89,000,000 and less than 10 per cet. of this was paid at the time. Labour had reversed that policy and our children did not have to carry the debt. The Government had tackled the overseas

debt and £48,000,000 of this had been paid off in London. As a result of the saving in interest £2,500,000 more in goods was coming into the country every year. Labour’s opponents did not agree with this policy. If it was bad business to pay off debts he would ask if it were good business not to pay them. It .was not fair to leave our children to pay off the debt. The Government Education was briefly mentioned by Mr. Boord who said school building arrears were to be overtaken, kindergarten training given to pre-school-age children, the size of classes reduced and free text books issued. Three agricultural schools” would be established —one in the Bay of Plenty. Other features included vocational guidance. Touching on the subject of the future of social security, the candidate said that in five years all benefits would be paid by right. Two new benefits would be free ambulance in the next three years and specialist benefits. Not much more could be added to a very fine scheme. Mr. Boord strongly attacked rumours and propaganda spread by the National Party. Last year coal production had increased and was a record. The shortage was due to two factors. Overseas shipments had ceased and the terrific demand had caused a shortage. He admitted there had been a shortage of goods but the shops were now filling up and things were now coming back into the country. There had been a shortage of men’s clothing throughout the world. There had been-a heavy demand from returning servicemen, many of whom found their old clothes would not fit them on their return. The Labour Government would not maintain rationing longer than was necessary. _ For one-he would not advocate lifting rationing until the people in England got at least as much as we do now in this country. (Enthusiastic applause). Labour had been accused of using import control to debar goods that were necessary. The Government would not import luxuries at the present time; while other goods were not available. New Zealand had the lowest cost of living in the world, he claimed. Referring to a National advertisement showing the prices of cheap goods some years- ago, the speaker said some of them were made of Japanese materials or by the Japanese. He claimed Mr. Holland did not know what he was talking about. First he said the Nationalists would decrease prices, then they would keep them level and finally that they were going to increase them. “They, don’t know what they are going to do”, emphatically declared the Labour candidate. Taxation had been reduced by £21,000,00 this year and next year (May) it was produced to reduce the wages tax 6d in the £. More than half the income tax came from companies 'and 80 per cent, of the population paid no income tax whatsoever. The main bulk came from 50,000 people who paid an average of £lB4 each. As a direct result of the war the Government had to find over £21,000,000 more each year. The Government was not extracting froni the people the maximum amount but the minimum amount necessary to run the services of the country efficiently. When possible a further reduction would be made in taxation. The speaker then read an extract from Hanzard where a National member had said top-heavy departments should be pruned. Services received by the public must bo paid out of taxation. The National campaign was being conducted on fear physiology. His opponent had said at Hamilton that Labour was trying to frighten .the people, but he (the speaker) claimed that no one had done more to put fear into the people than the Nationalists. Labour had tried to prevent big business from exploiting the people. There was no heed for any person in this country to fear the present Government. He deprecated the talk of disinheritance and said that no remit advocating disinheritance was ever accepted at any Labour Conference. People in this country would have more- to leave than ever before and Labour would, let them leave it. National Policy Criticising the National Policy, Mr. Boord said it was remarkable for two thing’s. It was full of highsounding phrases and was only a. watered clown Labour Policy. It contained sops to get votes. The National Party was going to abolish the guaranteed price and give a maximum and minimum price. Ho asked what was going to happen to returned servicemen with such a system. The Nationalists also proposed to interfere with the Land Sales Act. If control were taken off the land the price would rise £lO an acre on farm lands. House .properties and building sections would go up and the people would have'to pay more. He classed the suggested sale of State houses as impracticable. The State houses wore built for workers to be let at cheap rentals. The Nationalists proposed to interfere with import control with a consequent effect on secondary industries. What the people could hope to see if the Nationalists got into power was the abandonment of what thj Labour Government had achieved. The people would - have to decide for economic security or a return to the bad old ways. (Applause). He. appealed to all to study the policy of the parties and to get behind Labour and sweep away the barriers in this country to future progress. The candidate resumed his seals

amidst loud applause. There was only one question put to the candidate, this concerning superannuation and social security payments. Mr. L. Doinbush proposed a vote of thanks to the candidate an<l of confidence in him and the party he represented. Seconded by Mr. J. Roe and carried by acclamation. Mr. Boord returned thanks and moved a vote of thanks to the chairman. In reply -'Mr. Johnson said his task during the campaign had proved a very easy one. would carry on the policy of reducing the debt in EUgland until the) got rid of it. If the Nationalists got into power they would carry on the same old policy. As a result of stabilisation introduced in 1943 the Government had fixed the cost of foodstuffs at what they were in 1939. No other countiy could get their foodstuffs at 1939 prices. Labour had kept purchasing power in the people’s wages. It should not be necessary for him to say what would happen if stabilisation were abolished. They had read what had happened in America when restrictions were lifted. Rehabilitation One of the biggest war problems was the rehabilitation of the 130,000 men who had gone overseas and were now home. They had come back to the finest rehabilitation service in the world. Half of the State houses had been allocated to returned servicemen. Mr. Boord mentioned the value of the Land Sales Act. One hundred and three thousand men had received aid from the Rehabilitation Department, in some form or other. Thirty six million pounds had been spent in rehabilitation of which twentyone million pounds had been spent last year. The Labour Government had "set up an entirely new service which was now working at top speed. Over 19,000 servicemen had been able to get their own homes. The speaker went on to enumerate other forms of assistance given to servicemen. He had mentioned something of what had been done on the economic side. The Labour candidate said that no record of the Government’s achievenrents could be complete without reference to the social security scheme. Nine years ago the country had no such thing as social security. Mr. Boorcl stated the limited schemes which were in operation when Labour came into powoi. Not only had pensions been increased but new features were very important ones and finally there was the universal family allowance. The free services included hospital treatment, medicine etc, Seventy thousand people received the benefits when Labour first came into power and the number was now 410,000. The cost had increased from £2,300,000 to £30,300,000 annually. What he wished to impress on the younger people growing up under social security was that it had taken fear out of their Jives. There were now no debts to face when a husband came out of hospital. Social securty had been built up by the older members of the Labour Party in face of interests and those now seeking Government benches. He asked those present if they were going to support those who had never wanted social security and opposed it from the very beginning. The farmers to-day. were secure and the working man was able to buy what he wanted and business people were flourishing. The business man suffered if the workers’ or the farmers’ purchasing power failed. The Labour Government hacl built the foundation of economic social security which could be built on. Labour had a properly co-or-dinated plan which could be built on. The National policy had been changed from year to year. Labour had produced a plan m which they could make use of all the available materials in the country. No work would ever be held -up for lack ot money. , . The greatest problem to-day was housing, said Mr. Boord. Twentytwo thousand State houses had been built up to the present. The charge was often made against the Government that it was against the people owning their own homes. In addition 30,000 other houses had been built. ' There was nothing to prevent a man owning liis own home. The problem which had arisen was directly the result of the war. The Government was now ” LUC r!‘ s houses faster than ever before, the material used in war building m New Zealand and in the Pacific was sufficient to have constructed 37,000 houses. War marriages had also created a problem. In 1951 it was intended to build 15,000 houses. Timber supplies was a big problem and the speaker mentioned efforts now being made by Bay of Plenty mills to greatly increase output. It was difficult to get other materials from overseas because other countries were having their own housing problems. The Government was going to train many thousands of workers for the building trade. There were two things the Government would not do First it would not reduce the standard of the State houses and second, it would not interfere with controls unti supplies were adequate. If the Government took off the controls rich people would bid for the ma terials. The attitude shown by the Labour opponents showed clea ) what the Nationalists would do U thev got in power. ■ Labour’s plans included great increases in primary it would be necessary to break in new land but the virgin land in New Zealand which could be economically developed was very limited Next year manure would be available in the country in sufficient quantity Labour’s policy was to improve the pastures by ploughing up and re-

sowing. Fifteen hundred servicemen would be rehabilitated on the land each year. . The~Government was going to develop hydro-electric power to the limit by fully harnessing the Waikato and the C'lutlia. Mr. Boord went on to outline some of the big undertaking the Government had in view.

Taneatua-Opotiki Railway The speaker pointed out that- the Government’s 10-year plan for the Bay of Plenty had not yet been completed. However he knew of some of the points that were in it. Big road works were to be undertaken and some-work was already under way. He mentioned work near Rotorua, on the WhakataneTaneatua highway and Waimana Gorge. The highway from Taneatua to Opotiki was to be reconstructed and ■ the railway from Taneatua to Opotiki built. Investigation would have to be made to see which would be more practicable—a railway from Opotiki to Motohora or a super- highway. MR. SULLIVAN’S ADDRESS LABOUR PARTY ATTACKED •’‘OCTOPUS OF COMMUNISM” The final address to electors in the Opotiki district gven by Mr. W. Sullivan, National candidate for the Bay of Plenty, was delivered in the Regent Hall on Saturday night, the Mayor, Mr. T. G. Johnson, presiding over a gathering of about 240 electors. Mr. Sullivan was accorded an attentive hearing, and numerous questions were asked at the end of the address. Mr Sullivan expresses liis thanks to the mayor, and to the people of Opotiki for their warm welcome to Mr. S. G. Holland, stating that the warmness of the welcome everywhere was a sign that the people were searching tor a new prune minister. The Labour Party, had come to the end ol its road as far as policy was concerned, and fhe Prime Minister was on a pinnacle looking back into the past,. The Government had nailed its flag to the pole of ultimate socialism, said Mr. Sullivan, and would lake over the major industries and then turn their attention to the smaller industries. The Raglan contest was fought on that very thing, in Italy and Germany much the same tiling happened, in Germany the larger industries being taken over Under the cloak of National {Socialism. There was an element linked with the Labour Party—the Communists who were working together With the socialists to put the plan of ultimate socialism into operation. The Communists thought that the Labour Party was not going fast enough. The two were working with the same object and electors were at the crossroads, and would have to decide whether they were going to the left with the Socialists or to the right with the National Party, and save the country from tlie octopus of communism. Mr. Sullivan asked what the Labour Party did as the opposition to lessen the slump. They blamed the government of that time for breeding the “old grey mare” which galloped around the world. At the time the Labour Party was elected there was a revival of world trade and the Labour Party took the credit- lor it. If they took the credit for that, then they should take the responsibility for last year’s drought. Mr. Sullivan again gave a pledge that social security or pensions would not be interfered with. At last election the National Parly strength increased from 17 seats to 34 scats, and they picked up one seat at a by-election. “Give us another 17 and we will do the job,” said Mr. Sullivan Mr. Sullivan touched on the need for more population and said that the National Party would see that industries, both primary and secondary, wei’c developed so that the standard ol living and social security benefits could’ be maintained. They would establish a board of trade to do away with the ,pernicious policy of import trade, there should bo more incentive to secondary industries to produce more. The National Party would review the whole incidence of taxation, said Mr. Sullivan. Taxation |houid come first off the needs of the working mail and woman. On superannuation they would give an exemption of £3OO before tax was paid because the people had contributed to the fund from their wages Labour Party’s “Funny Money” Mr. Sullivan referred to the depreciation of the £ duo to the great increase in currency issued. He likened the system to a milkman watering down the milk, and said that Mr. Nash was watering down the money. “And you can’t do anything about it until next Wednesday,” said Mr. Sullivan. People were being fooled about w hat they were paying in taxation, said Mr. Sullivan, in advocating the removal of sales tax. The wages tax amounted to 2s in the £l, and with sales tax people were paying a total tax of 5s 6d in the £, or a quarter of every £ before they start to pay income tax. “That’s why the £ buys so little,” said Mr. Sullivan. Out of every 8 hours of work the worker worked 3 hours

for the government, and out of a year’s work he worked 19£ we.eks for the government of to-day. In 1938 it took 107 hours’ work to buy a dining room suite, while in 1946 it took 176 hours work. “We have got to have more chips to buy these things adulterated as the money is” added the speaker. Mr. Sullivan said that the government negotiated for lump sum payments from the British Government for the farmer’s produce and then said that the money beionged to- the nation and paid off the debts in London with the money. “No wonder production has fallen away when the Government has written incentive out of production,” said Mr, Sullivan. Mi’. Sullivan touched on the housing policy and said that Mr. Mclagan could get a State house in three weeks while many, men could not get one in 6 months. He said that State houses should be for those on a lower wage level and not for those well able to build their own houses. The National Party was going to put a little ginger under those who had a say in the roofing question. Under Labour a person could pay £3OOO for a house and would not own the back door knob, Mr. Sullivan said that the National Party did not believe in compulsory unionism—no other country had it. The National Party would let workers decide for themselves. Money was being lost galore to the people, said Mr. Sullivan, due to the inefficiency, of some officers to deal with business matters. He referred to the sale of trucks which the government sold for £lB each and then bought back for £7OO to £SOO each. “We will stick to the flag that made the British Empire,” said Mr. Sullivan, in relating an incident- in which a division was taken. The Labour members went into the lobby singing the ‘‘Red Flag”, while the National Party members sang_ the National Anthem. They would take up a subscription and send the communists back to Russia. During question time, Mr. J. T. Roe, president ol Opotiki branch of the Labour Party, denied Mr. Sullivan’s allegations that the Labour Party had any connection with the Communist Party. Mr. Sullivan had previously stated that a professed communist was standing for an Auckland seat as a Labour candidate. Mr. Sullivan asked why it was that the Labour Party did not expeil that member. At the conclusion of the address Mr. Olein Black congratulated Mr. Sullivan on his clear explanation of his party’s platform, and said that Mr. Sullivan was following in the footsteps of other great members for the bay- who had reached cabinet rank. They had the right man, the right policy, and the right leader, and they were New Zealand made, “and that’s where they’ve got the government beaten,” said Mr. Black. There were no import restrictions against the National Party, and all they needed was the license on Wednesday. The hearty vote of thanks and confidence was seconded by Mr. George Vanstone and carried. MR. SULLIVAN AT OTARA Mr. \V. Sullivan’s address at Otara on Friday morning is reported to be the largest political meeting ever held there, 98 being present. The speaker received a good hearing and'at the conclusion of his address a motion of confidence in the candidate and the National Party was proposed by ill'. A. G. Jerram, and seconded by Mr. Jack Connor. TO-MORROW’S POLL LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS The principal polling-places in Opotiki district for to-morrow’s poll are Opotiki Courthouse where electors with surnames A to L will vote and Parish Hail where electors with surnames M- to Z will vote. A special booth has also been established at the Courthouse to deal with cases of absent voters, postal voters, and declaration voters, also cases of members or exnienibers of the forces who have served overseas and who arc not registered as electors. These persons arc entitled to vote after making a declaration as to their eligibility and in their case the age qualification of 21 does not apply. Outlying polling-places are: Torere, Native School; Lower Waiawa, Native Dept’s Store; Waioeka Hall; Otara Hall; Woodlands, Public School; Paerata Ridge, School Building; Toatoa, Public School; Wairata, School Building; Waiotuhi, Settlers’ Hall; Kutarere, Public School. At Waimana and Nukuhou North the polling-places are at the schools. Coastal polling-places past Torere are at Maraenui School, Omaio Hall, Gaiety Hall, Te Kaha, and Raukokore Native School.