MR. HOLLAND’S VISIT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17639, 1 December 1931, Page 7

MR. HOLLAND’S VISIT

SCENES OF ENTHUSIASM STRONG LIFT FOR MR. COLEMAN NATIONAL POLICIES CONTRASTED Scenes of enthusiasm marked the appearance of the Leader of the Opposition, Air. H. E. Holland, at the Opera House last evening, in one ot his last half-dozen speeches in the course of his Dominion tour on behalf of the party which lie loads. Mr. Holland had conic to Gisborne

to rally the support of wnvcrcrs to the standard of the Labor candidate, Mr. i D. W. Coleman, and in an effective address, punctuated with satirical comment on the performances of the leaders and bodies of the other parties

in national polities, he carried the j majority of his large audience with him for over two hours. The Opera House had been crowded for almost half an hour prior to the time set for the opening of the meeting, and there was every evidence of a keen interest in what the Labor Leader had to say, his audience including many Gisborne residents who havo been associated with the candidatures of Mr. Coleman’s respective opponents. The meeting was almost entirely devoid of interjections, and those refftarka heard from the audience were generally of an enthusiastically friendly nature. At the close, cheers

were 'given for Mr. Holland, who was accorded evidence of confidence in his .’leadership; while Mr. D. W. Coleman Wa? also assured of implicit confidence in his candidature by a motion to which no dissent whatever was expressed, A compliment to Mrs. ColeMan was tendered in the form of a floral bouquet. ' “A STATESMAN OF VISION” The chair was taken by Mr. S. V. Beaufoy, who introduced Mr. Holland as a statesman of vision, who had grasped very thoroughly that it was through lack of vision that New Zealand was in the grip of depression. Unselfishly, Mr. Holland had left his own constituency to his opponent, to fight the cause of Labor, and had addressed some 20 heavy meetings. From the chairman of Mr. Holland’s committee‘had come a message congratulating Mr. Holland on his clean and gallant fight against heavy odds, and expressing the hope that when lie returned to Bullor ho would return as Prime Minister. Gisborne electors wpuld do tlieir part in assuring that end, by supporting Mr. Coleman, the local Labor candidate. Greeted with a prolonged ovation of handclapping and cheers, followed by the singing of a verse of “For He’s a Jolly Good Follow,” Sir. Holland expressed pleasure in meeting such an audience. The election was the most momentous in New Zealand's history, and the issues wore greater than any before. He hoped that after this election Gisborne would have as its representative in the House Mr. Coleman, iwko would, he felt, be the most successful representative the district had ever had. (Applause.) 41 TO KEEP LABOR OUT”

There had been a great deal of high-falutin ’ talk about the motives of the Coalition, said Mr. Holland, but ho would quote to them Air. F.orbes’ reasons for asking for a fusion, and the different views held by Labor. The first suggestion of a fusion came from a party of Wellington business men, who made it clear that they wanted a fusion with the one object of keeping Labor out of ofllee in New Zealand. When in August Mr. Coates suggested an inter-Party-committee, Air. Forbes had said it Would mean an adjournment of the House and a postponement of the elections. The Labor Party went into the conference on an economic basis, with the distinct understanding that it would have no political bargaining. The committee had heard extensive evidence, and the most unsatisfactory evidence of all was that of the bankers and Chambers of Com- . merco. There was not a single constructive suggestion forthcoming from this section, from which ono would have expected really sound evidence. After three weeks, the United and Reform Parties had nothing to propose by way Of conclusions. The Labor Party and Air. Wilkinson, the Independent, had their concrete proposals ready. Air. Coates had a partly-prc--pared statement, and Air. Forbes as Usual had nothing ready. In the course of an adjournment till the following morning, there happened something that had no parallel in the history of New Zealand. The Labor Party found that the United Reform arid Independents were meeting behind closed door,s in the Prem--ier’s room, a most improper course added Air. Holland. The result lmd been a “companionate marriage” between United and Reform, something having slipped and left the Independents on the outside. The two parties were now living in a state of political adultery, Mr. Holland declared amidst laughter. The two parties now tied together were not likely to be happy, continue.: the speaker, who stated that he had long ago predicted that the anti Labor people would be in the one camp. That, prediction had now -> come about, and he for one was not complaining, for the lines of demarcation were now clearly drawn, without the confusing presence of a thirdparty in the field.

VIEWS ON THE FUSION The Opposition Leader called attention to the manner in which the fusion had been treated in different quarters. Mr. Coates, only a few weeks ago, hud been advisiim his supporters of the Reform Party that the London Times' laudation of Mr. Forbes and the fusion scheme, frequently quoted by United, inul been itianufoctured in Wellington, and after being sent Home to London, cabled lines to New Zealand with all the strength of the London Times behind it. It was also stated at the same time that the efforts for a fusion were obviously inspired as a means of savin? the United Party from political eytiwtion. Mr. Holland reviewed the series of appointments since the Coalition as indicating! the predominance of Reform in Ihe Coalition Cabinet. Sir James Fair having .supplanted Mr. R. MnsWs at. the head of the Legislative Coun-i], a ’ post wh>"h should have been the reward of Sir Thomas Wilford. the liwt and most gentlemanly of the nM I>’ eyal* (Applause). Mr. Forbes had regained the Premiership for himself, hut. it seen that he was ordv nominally t holder of the Prime Ministership. Tim maiority of imnortant portfolios were held by the Reformers, and Liberals who had seen Sir Joseph Ward lend the

remnants of the Liberals to victory in 1928, said Mr. Holland, must rejoice to witness to-dav the surrender of all that Liberalism stood for, to a minority that had been crushed and decimated at the 1928 elections. That defeated minority, said Mr. Holland, was now imposing its own rejected policy on the majority that had defeated it. (Applause.) The Labor Leader then proceeded to qitoto earlier utterances of Mr. Forbes on the subject of fusion, and referred to the present Prime Minister's statement, in 1925, that if the Liberals joined with Reform to stem the tide of Labor, it would deserve the contempt of Liberals who had supported it in the past. COUNTRY \S ONLY CHOICE

Entering on the elections with only two'-great parties, and facing a most terrible depression, the country had im choiie but to support Labor, nmtimicd Mr. Holland. When a depression swept over New Zealand. Labor’s opponents felt that the only way to cure it was to drag everything down to the lowest level. The Labor Party, on the other hand, had a policy of building-up. The Labor Partv’s plan for the cure of the slump troubles was to produce more, and so offset the unit value of the primary products. Now Zealand had many fine scientists who would show the wav to economic improvement. State ass’stance would be required to initiate these improvements, hut that was to he exnmted. Experts reported that if New Zealand produced twice what it did now, it could still dispose of it overseas.

Moreover, the Tud'or Parlv recognised the necessitv of building up and maintaining the home market. The maintenance of export volume must he conditioned by the ahilitv to imnort moods and consume them. That ability in itself was dependent on the purchasing power of the people in the mass. The process of cutting down wages had reduced tlie purchasing power of the public as a whole tv £12.509,000. and doubtless the retailers were able to realise now whv they were in difTieullirs in moving their stocks of merchandise. All over New Zealand, there were han’-runt avid assigned stocks selling at c-i'iiflre mb ps • farmers were going to t!m wall: whale townships were -h!l“ and tbp populations starving; tens of ♦ ’'oimamls of men nut of work or on the Vo. 5 scheme—which was almost worse than hein" out of work—-and every time the Coalition lenders set out on a new drive of wagn e«ts and dismissals the situation went from bad to worse. “THE SAME OLD ARGUMENT"

In 1925, IS2B, and again now in 1931, tha public was told that if the Labor Party came into power, the country would be ruined. The Labor Party had not yet got into power, however, and who could he saddled with the responsibility for the present state of affairs? After the record of the other parties, they still had the hardihood to use the same old argument and ask for a renewal of confidence. (Laughter and applause). Referring to Air. Coates’ statement cm unemployment, Mr. Holland: said that that broadcast had held no ray of hope for an irnprovemeht. It had certainly been stated that 20,000 men would be transferred to productive works. Whose fault was it that the men had previously been on unproductive work? He remembered when the unemployed relief works had been started, local, relief committees had been instructed that relief works were, not to include any that would be on county estimates or should be on the estimates. There had been one interesting portion in Alr. Coates’ broadcast, continued Mr. Holland, and that was his advice to local bodies not to make the relief works so attractive that men would not leave them. Anyone knowing the circumstances of relief work, such as in the camp at Alatawai in this district, would appreciate Air. Coates’ apprehension lest the jobs should become. so attractive that men would refuse to leave them.

j REHABILITATION OF INDUSTRIES I The solution of the great unemployment question was the rehabilitation I in industry of the men now out of work, on remunerative rates' of pay, declared Air. Holland, amidst applause., They must recognise that it would he impossible at oiue to clear up the, situation left by the Reform and United parties, hut the organisation of tincountry’s credit and resources would present the means of curing the problem. Land settlement, the encouragement of secondary industries, and the making of definite trade agreements in place of the present anarchic conditions in the expoit markets, were three of the avenues through which the Labor Party would work for permanent recovery. They would go to the British (government and ask for an agreement to tako stated quantities of our produce, and undertake in turn to take stated quantities of British manu- , factores.

Tho number of farmers and business men who spend their money, derived from exports to the Old Country, in the, purchase of American cars and other manufactures was astonishing, said Mi. Holland. (Applause). The Labor Party would recognise the principle of trade reciprocity, with the Homeland in the 'first instance, and with other British Dominions later, with the final extension to foreign countries. . By such trade agreements, it would be possible to stabilise the receipts of the farmers from their products, in contrast to the present uncertainties of their marketing results. The establishment of a methodical system of highways, secondary roads, arid railways, the promotion of primary and secondary industry, and the elimination of unnecessary imports were referred to by Mr. Holland, who detailed a number of industries in which huge advances could be looked for under a Labor Government. He declared that New Zealand could hold its own with any country in the world in the quality of its raw materials and tJio ability of its workmen.

REDUCTIONS OP INTEREST Reference was made by Mr. Holland to the Mortgage Relief Act, which had been'boasted of by the Coalition leaders as a measure which hel| ed the fannris. The Act looked well on the surface, Iml it did not really bring; relief, he held, describing in detail the reasons for his claim. He contrasted the Act with the Labor Party’s bill for the temporary moratorium, which provided, among other things, for a 20 per cent, reduction of interest. Reduction of interest was a natural corollary of wage reduction. There was a decided division of opinion on the ethics of interest reductions. The Wellington Stock Exchange had favored, in reply to a questionnaire, a reduction to 4 per cent.; and had thereafter developed an argument, directly against its own opinion. Tfic Christchurch Stock Exchange had favored, as the Labor Party did, a 20 per cent, decrease in interest; and the Auckland exchange had protested against “an act of dishonesty which no British country should countenance/’ Mr. William Goodfellow had also held that to reduce interest arbitrarily would “tarnish the name of New Zealand.’’ He had in almost tho same breath favored the reduction of day wages for laborers to 3s per day (Laughter.) Stating that the issue to day facing New Zealand is greater than it was in wat iJUICj. itolluud declared HutO

if Libor was returned to power, it would not hesitate to use the wartime legislation to ensure that money was available to meet the financing of the economic rehabilitation of New Zealand. He recalled that during the Great War, New Zealand had raised an average of £13X00.000 per annum to meet the Dominion's war costs. Surely there was sufficient patriotism in I ho. country today to ensure tlie provision of about £9.000.000 to finance the economic rehabilitation of New Zealand. (Applause.)

GRADUATED LAND TAX The repeal of the graduated hand fax provided Air. Holland with an opportunity to score off his political opponents because of their iiteotisisieney as shown by the public statements on this subject. He wondered how the small farmers were taking Messrs. Coates and I’m lies’ efforts to prove that, tile repeal of the graduated land tax would benefit the small landowner. The. only section that would benefit from the repeal was that section of large landowners who had big wool interests. When the Labor Unity had opposed tln* repeal. Air. Forbes had stated that many big landowners were compelled to draw on their capital to pay the graduated land tax. Very good, said Mr. Holland. but how did Mr. Forbes treat the small man who, with a little nest-egg in the bank, appealed for relief work. Such a man was refused relief until lie had spent the whole of his small savings. He had heard of a man who had spent liis £4O hank balance on a wireless set. in order to secure relief work that was refused him while he had money in the bank. The type of mentality that enforced a system such as tli.it should call for treatmonf at Dorirua, AH. Holland declared. (Applause.) GO YI: RN At ENT’S BROKEN PROMISES The speaker dealt trenchantly' with the incidence of the income tax, ([noting figures to show that the incidence of this tax favored the big-income individual as against the .small-income individual. He stated that the policy of the Labor Unity would be to strengthen, ami not to weaken, the sources of taxation revenue. To effect this end. the party had a definite policy that it would put into operation when it reached the Treasury benches. The speaker dealt with some of the promises which he declared the Coat' lion Government had broken. ihe treatment of “ permanent casuals" in the Government, service, who had

recent I v received notice of dismissal; of soldier settlers who had been placed on high-priced land the values el which had since been deflated with the result that men had been forced off their properties; and of the public servants, provided Mr. Holland with scope for biting comment upon his political opponents. He rr-ealb'd the succession of Mr. Coates, following the death of the late Air. Massey, and reviewed in highly critical terms the record of the Reform Party in the several years that followed. In 1928, when it seemed that Unf Reform Party was inarching to defeat and that the Labor Party would get: its chance 'on the Treasury benches. Sir Joseph Ward with till the lustre that attached to his name, led the remnants of the Liberals to victory' a* thy polls. He had only held office, however, by carrying' out the 'pledges lie had given, while enjoying I lie support of the Labor Party, Mr. 1 1 Mbit .1 explained Then came the death ot Sir Joseph Ward and the sareession o! Air. Forbes. Air. Forbes, at the time of the Imperial Conference, had gene! away fioin New Zealand pledged to; the same policy as Sir Joseph Ward, 1 but whoa lie came back he shouted for wage reductions and ether hum- j uures such as those winch had sin-'c • boon carried out with Reform support. ■ Air. Holland argued that every party j was entitled to change its economic, principles, but it was a fixed rule that when a party departed from its old convictions, it should go to the conn-tu-v and justify itself in the eyes of the electors. The United Party had thrmvn over every pledge it had made in UlilS, and had finally surremlen/4 to the Reform Party in return for its support. j “COALITION AGAINST NEW J RAILWAYS" “You Rof or mens in this audience

who’ are supporters of Mr. Coates might keep in mind the fact that Mr. Coates wti- responsible for stopping the East Coast main trunk railway,” said Mr, Holland at a later stage of hi* lengthy address. “Any camlidale who supports the Coalition is bound to oppu\SO illc constniution of ruiiways,” ho added. On the question of railways, Mr. Holland .strongly criticised the financial details of'the Government ’s contract. with Mr. 11. H. Sterling, general manager of the New Zealand railway.-, and chairman-elect of the Railways Board. Tim suspension of the main trunk railway syoiem, he declared, represented a great surrender to the oil interests overseas, and further surrender.-! were in train if the Coalition was returned. The speaker slated that instead '.of monkeying with the railways in this manner, the Government of New Zealand should be reviewing the whole of the tratrspom system so that the motors won! 1 no: replace 1 the railways, but would only act as feeders to v tho railways. HUGE ECONOMIC WASTE At a later stage, Mr. Holland <• i;. icised the er noinie waste, a sociaied with the mis;• m. inn of railways recently under construction. Every one of the lines had been justified by cither Reform or United Governments, cm an economic basis, and one eliect of the suspension would be that railways would cost about twice what they would have cost if they had been carded |o completion in good time. When the United I’ftrty look charge of the railway, Mr. Bys’car gate a public repu (Ration of hi o'l n'login i; -.* to Reform. When the Cuili l I’n'ly stepp'd the G’lvlmrne line, .Mr. I ys'iar bad repudiated Ibe Unit ed . N w tea ■ tVlwin and United had pur -d tore". M -. I.ysnar had pledged himself to both 'Conjointly. It would b" in e outing to observe, said Ms', Holland, bow Mr. I.ysnar would get on wilh his desire for the railway line to Gisborne, in view of the condonation ol: the two parlie* opposed to the line. The only way in which the suspended railways could lie re-started would be by the rep; a! of the Act w liicli set up and empowered the Railways Board, and the return to the people, through Parliament, of the light to say what should be done about railways con struct ion. Only through a Labor Government cu’d there be any hope of the nv.urnpl ion of (lie Gisboni" railway. WOMEN A Nit UN EM PLOY Mil NT The speaker dealt v. ith the actions of the Reform and United Governments affecting the livelihood, vorkitur conditions, and economic w Bare of women. The n fueal of uneinp'oyed relief to women, the reduction of family allowances, and such arbitrary

actions as the cutting of the wages, of nurses in hospitals, were quoted as instances of the Coalition parties’ attitude towards women. The mimes’ wages wire tin last that should have been required to stand the 10 per cent, reduction, said .Mr. Holland, who felt that everyone who like himself had had severe hospital experience would agree with him on litis point. He recalled to the minds of his hearers the circumstances of various other sufferers by tho economy campaign. “One of the meanest acts of a particularly mean Government,” was the description applied by Mr. Holland to the retrenchment in the salaries of charwomen in the Government employ. “You are asked to go into the polling booths mi Wednesday,” said Mr. .Holland, “with your eyes shut and your minds made up to give the ('oalition. a blank cheque.” He warned lhe audience against a cut in pensions, increased wages levy, the abolition of the Arbitration Court awards, and the institution of "open slather” In lh< matter of wages, which he stated could lie expected if the Coalition Government, was returned to power without, a • chock upon - its actions. MR. COLEMAN J S CANDIDATURE The Opposition Leader closed his address with a stirring recommendation to tlie electors to support tlu? candidature of Mr. Coleman in the contest for the Gisborne seat. He claimed that tho men who came to .Parliament wiih local body experience m; d" Lie l.‘" )io-t debaters and : mini 'Si vm'Ki ra The Labor Party did .n t n ).')'• ti.i Ino (led kliees to plead l'er v-.-tis. 1 .ab.ir had nothing to tear fn in ;; thinking-- people. It need only fear wh'-n the people refused to think, i ml inv'ted in- allowed the newspapers to do their thinking for them. The Liber,ils had not the opportunity of suppi rtu-.g the old Liberal policy, for tie United Party under Mr. Uoi-bes had siirremh red . very vestige of tho

great policy of Hall,-nice and Seddoti. The Labor Party claimed that the eir- ' euruslances of to-day were not disi similar from those of the late 'eighties j of last, century, and that it would | carry on, if returned to power, in the spirit of the light by Itallaneo and 1 B'lhion. I \ vote of tlianks to Mr, Holland for | his ni/o and lucid address, and of j eonliik ure in him as the Leader of the 1 Labor .Party: and expressing implicit J confidence in Mr. Goleniaii ait the ; party’s representative in Wednesday’s ' contest, was moved by Mr. G. it. A. j 'Whiting, and : eeonded by Mrs M. Taylor, and endorsed by clapping and cheers, ' is ovation far Messrs Hol- , I.and Coleman being followed by one round for Mrs. Coleman.