GENERAL ELECTION

Southland Times, Issue 20498, 29 May 1928, Page 8

GENERAL ELECTION

THE LABOUR PARTY OUTLINE OF POLICY ADDRESS BY MR 11. E. HOLLAND (Per United Preus Association.) Greymcuth, May 28. Speaking to a large audience at Matainui this evening, Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, made an important statement with respect to the Labour Party’s policy in connection with the forthcoming election. - Mr. Holland said that the Labour Party was not committed to either a protectionist or free trade policy. They would certainly reduce the indirect taxes and would ultimately abolish all customs duties on goods which could not be produced in New Zealand, but such industries as were natural to the country, namely the primary industries including timber and coal and certain secondary industries, would be safeguarded and fostered. To facilitate this on coming into office they would institute the most searching inquiry into the various industries to establish beyond dispute which of them were economic. In line with decision of their last conference, the Labour Party would go to the country definitely pledged in the event of their becoming the Government to enact into law specified proposals. Included in these would be the following provisions for breaking up and bringing into closer settlement the larger landed properties by more steeply grading the land; tax against the larger estates and also by the acquisition (through purchase by negotiation where possible and by compulsory purchase where necessary) of a large area now inadequately worked; the establishment of a State bank with the sole right of note issue; provision for agricultural banking and the organization of finance and credit with a view to lowering the rate of interests and thus lightening the burden of the farming community and of secondary industries; legislation to make fire and accident insurance a State monopoly; the establishment of the basic wage and increased family allowances; unemployment insurance on the lines of the Bill introduced on behalf of the Party in 1926, also amendment of the Workers’ Compensation Act on the basis of Bills recently introduced by the Labour Party; invalidity of pensions and increased pensions for the aged, the widows, the blind and the victims of miners’ phythisis; the effective organization of the production and distribution of coal and timber; amendment of the Education Act to provide for free school books and utensils; teachers’ right of appeal against non-appointment basing teachers’ salaries on the roll number instead of average attendance; payment of teachers’ removal expenses; reduction of abnormally large classes and abolition of overcrowding; the abolition of boy conscription and the reorganization of the defence system; a vigorous and yet careful works policy would be pursued; works now partially completed would be pushed along and where ever the needs of the primary and secondary producing interests were found to demand road or rail access they would be promptly met. Administratively, he said that the Labour Government would exercise whatever measure of influence the Dominion possessed in the councils of the British Commonwealth in the direction of world peace and to secure the settlement of all international disputes by arbitration instead of by war. They would honour New Zealand’s signature to the peace treaty by making provision for the representation of the Dominion at the League of Nations international labour conference. They would restore to the people of Samoa the right of fair trial in accordance with the established principles of British jurisprudence; they would recall the banishment and deportation orders which had been made without trial and would meet the Samoans on a basis of conciliation and justice. The Labour Party would safeguard the economic interests of the Samoan producers of copra by nationalizing the marketing of that commodity. He was convinced that under a Labour Government there would be no insurmountable difficulty in administering the mandate from the League of Nations.