NATIONAL PARTY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19555, 10 February 1938, Page 4

NATIONAL PARTY

MEETING AT PATUTAHI

LABOUR RULE ASSAILED

TWO GISBORNB SPEAKERS

A public meeting convened by the National Party was held at the Patutahi Hall last night. Mr. S. D. Briant presided over a large attendance, and in introducing the speakers referred to the important crisis which had been reached in the country's affairs, and to the danger of the benefits of prosperity being diverted from the hardworking to the less worthy. Mr. L. T. Burnard, who spoke first, said that the great prosperity which the world was enjoying was not shared to its full by all sections of the community in New Zealand. There were indeed a number of disappointing features l w3hich should not be found in times of prosperity and which were attributable to the administration of the Labour Government.

These were:, (1) the dissatisfaction of the dairyfarmer at the lower net return obtained by him due to increasing costs, thus preventing his obtaining a profit commensurate with the good times and with the benefits received by many non-producers, (2) the difficulty experienced by some large industries and the slowing down in those industries of turnover and profits, (3) the fears of the investing class which prevented capital from being put into new industries, and caused large sums of money to leave the country instead of being employed in the normal way and so providing further employment. Government Loans The feeling of uncertainty extended to the Government's financial transactions, Mr. Burnard said. Formerly, when a loan was floated, it was advertised for public subscription, and both the amount of the loan and the price were known. Now millions were being borrowed without any public information, and most people were unaware, even to-day, from what source the money had come, how much was borrowed from the Savings Bank and how much from the common fund of the Public Trust Office. One thing was certain, these borrowings on the part of the Government had dried up the moneys available for local bodies.

Information on important transactions was withheld at the time they were entered into, and it was only dug out by patient questioning on the part of the Opposition, sometimes lasting for days, continued Mr. Burnard. The details of the Picot purchase were only revealed by close cross-examination of the Hon. W. Nash months after the deal was made. It amounted, he thought, to this: The Government had by Order-in-Council closed down all butter businesses, and then had purchased Mr. Picot's business on terms that eventually yielded him £20,000 for goodwillAll other businesses of the kind had disappeared. They were prohibited by law. Their goodwill had gone. Where was the explanation? The "Rev." C. G. Scrimgour, with no experience in business, had been given a contract in connection with commercial broadcasting worth £BOOO a year. The public outcry certainlv had caused a reduction to £ISOO, but what was the explanation of the original arrangement? asked the speaker. Administration the Test Mr. Burnard said that much talk had been expended upon the policies of the respective parties, but the real ♦est was the capacity of their administration. Any policy consistently followed out and well administered would lead somewhere. "The present Government has completely failed in its administration," said Mr. Burnard.

Ministers had never held office before, they had had no business experience, and yet they were trying to teach the manufacturer and the farmer how to do his job, he declared. Every day the community feared some fresh move in depriving it of the conduct oi' its own affairs.

What was the position, for example, regarding the important question of transport? They read of one transport business after another being taken over by the Government, and no £20,000 goodwill paid—no, not a penny. Yet the Ministers asserted that the State did not intend to socialise the transport services. Unfortunately, however, a leading member of the party, Mr. Ormond Wilson, M.P., a co-opted member assisting the Minister of Finance, had let the cat out of the bag. In a letter written by him to a radical magazine appeared the statement, "The activities of all State departments have been widened and increased; all long-dis-tance road transport for example, has been, or is to be acquired, bv the State." Address by Mr. lies Mr. D. W. lies said that the full effect of the Labour rule had not yet had time to be appreciated, but the Government was like the man who ignored the principles of business yet who floated awhile before coming to a sudden end. It was clear that all the farmer received or would receive from the guaranteed price was an average based on values over the past 10 years. In other words, the farmer would receive only what he would have otherwise, except that his receipts were to be spread out regularly. But increased costs had now to be met, and as the townspeople existed in the long run on the farmer the increased costs they had to meet must come from the farmer. If any section of farmers were to obtain a benefit, Mr. lies continued, it must be secured at the expense of another section.

"If Mr. Savage can insulate New Zealand," declared Mr. lies, "and make prices good when times are bad, why can he not make things better when prices are good?" Both speakers were accorded a hearty vote of thanks, on the motion of Mr. G. V. Smith.