PAHIATUA SEAT.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13105, 13 November 1935, Page 2

PAHIATUA SEAT.

DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE.

ADDRESS IN PAHIATUA. In liis political address at Palii-i-tua on Monday evening Mr D. S. AJeGhie, Democrat candidate, referred to the misery and starvation caused by unemployment, and said this state of tilings should not exist in a land so fertile and so productive in wealth as New Zealand. He claimed that most of the expenditure on relief schemes had been wasted, particularly in regard to the building subsidy scheme. Contractors and men employed on these particular jobs had just got bare wages, and it was , only the sawmillers and the timber merchants who had received any real benefit.

Air McGhie said the Democrat Party had formulated a sound and constructive scheme for dealing with this very acute problem. They proposed to set uj) a National Development* Council which would act in an advisory capacity. AIL unfinished public- works would he reviewed and those of an economic reproductive nature c-oniplet.cd. All State undertakings—roads, rails, etc.—would be examined, so that the Government might be advised as to the exact condition of general prospects and each concern, or works. The Democrat Party would employ men at the standard rate of pay ; would endeavour to give them jobs of a permanent character, and the men and jobs would be classified so that men, as far as possible, would be put into occupations suitable to their training and calling. Men would be employed on reproductive work and not hidden away on a hillside with pick and shovel. Under the Democrat Party's proposals they would benefit, and so on, by a snowball effort. everybody in the community would benefit, as the result of more spending power being made available. Men would be put on full wages and the circulation of the money would assist to restore prosperity. The Democrat Party proposed to complete necessary public works, assist local bodies in the completion ot works, and provide capital for the assistance and development of private enterprise in production and trade. I hey would give assistance to any such schemes or works that would place t-lie unemployed in permanent i>rod active occupations, either on the land, in trade or industry. He mentioned that men could he put on the land to grow fruit, hops, maize, honey, tung oil and tobacco and “out of season” citrus fruits, etc. Industrial and manufacturing work's, bousing, public and local body works would be undertaken, completed, or assistance given as might be found necessary. £8,0! )(),< KH > L<) AN. For the* purpose ot these national development schemes Air AlcGliie said ir was proposed to institute* a National Development Fund, which would replace the present Unemployment Fund. In order to get schemes decided upon under way as quickly as possible, it was proposed to take authority to raise up to £8,000,000 in the first year by an internal loan. Such money would be used for reproductive schemes of a t.ypy that would become self-sup-porting within a. short period of years, thus relieving the fund of interest and sinking fund repayments. It, would necessarily require* to bo financed. His p«\rty would take off the unemployment levy and reduce the unemployed tax to sixpence but it was proposed also to ask for authority to utilise a portion of the present unemployment taxation, and payments from the Consolidated Imukl now made on account of mi employment to pay for the interest and sinking fund on the money used for national development lor the first few years. Interest and sinkmo; fund on £8,000,000 at 3» per c< nt. would amount to approximately £450,00!) per annum, providing feu* repayment in a short period. Thus in four years if they raised even up to £20,000 000,. the total yearly payments would be less than a quarter of what was at present being raised through unemployment taxation), Mr McGhie claimed that under his party’s proposals the money would be well expended and the country would reap the benefit from the development schemes they proposed to put into operation. With such carefully investigated and well planned schemes, they would lie able to eliminate unemployment within a short period and the cost to the community would be comparatively small—far less, at any rate, than the present useless and waste'ill system.