"A VITAL DECISION MUST BE MADE NEXT MONTH"

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 291, 18 November 1931, Page 6

"A VITAL DECISION MUST BE MADE NEXT MONTH"

LABOUR ATTACK ON ' ;£Qi|ITjON USE OP GREDIT FOR RECONSTRUCTION ALL CAN BE RAISED IN DOMINION Press Association.—Copyright. WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The following manifesto is issued by the New Zealand Labour Party over the signatures of Mr. H. E. Holland (Leader of the Parliamentary Party), Mr. H. G. R. Mason (Dominion president), and Mr, W. Nash (general'secretary):— Never in its history have the people of the Dominion been asked to make a more momentous decision than the one they will make next month. The decision is vital. It is between the drift, gloom and depression of the present Government, and organisation, development, and employment of our people.' Taxation, local and national, is increasingly rapidly —citizens are losing their homes—the sayings of lifetimes are drifting away." A halt must be called. With proper reorganisation no family need lose its home. No citizen, old or young, need go short of essentials.

We have wonderful natural resources. Access to them is denied by the policy of drifting statesmen who have no faith either in themselves or the people! The flow of credit, which is the life blood of our commercial and productive system, has been blocked. The block should be removed and the flow restored. The records and traditions of the Dominion show how progressive minds' overcame difficulties. In the early /nineties John pallance and Richard John Seddon lifted the country from depression to prosperity. Between 1914 and ' 1919, eighty mil : lions sterling was raised for war purposes. Fifty-five mi jlions of it was raised in the Dominion. There is still a large reserve of credit available for productive development.

Using Nation's Credit

..The Labour Party proposes to use the- nation's, credit for reconstruction purposes. The present banking laws permit this to be done. With a mandate from the people, Labour will ask Parliament. for authority to raise sufficient credit in New Zealand to carry, put a bold of industrial development, primary and secondary. All. the .credit necessary can be raised in the Dominion. The credit •wjjji be used for the development of pur p,wn .natural resources. Productive development will bring commodities. and assets. Willing men and women of the present—and boys and girls, who are cqmingpn-r-are entitled tp spnie measure;of security and permanent employment. It is better to utilise bur available labour in productive, work than to continue the present wasteful, and. demoralising method of 'spending |he unemployment fun^STaxation increases cannot go .on indefinitely. The source from which taxation is drawn be extended. Thje '.patipnai.-'iP.c.qme.' must be increased. It cannot be done by taxing one section tp keep the rest working part time." Especially when the work is of second and third-class ini-i portance,.

The First Essentia!

Credit is the first Given a mandate from the PPPPje, Labour will raise the money. The ,cq-ppera-tion of the associated banks and leading citizens will be invited. (The money will be raised within existipg banking laws). The raising of the money means direct employment of New Zeaiand'.workers, employment in New Zealand Industries. The drjft in pur national' trading accounts will be arrested.

The Labour Party submits the fpllpwing' policy to the electors, and urges them to support and ypte for the Labour cjandidates:—

The" establishment of a central bank with control of note issue, and the organisation of the banking sysr tern and credit resources with maximum facilities for use in primary and secondary production at minimum cost.

Planned production of national requirements. JDevelopment and extension of land settlement. Co-prdina-tjon pf all. Gpy eminent- departments — associated with primary production lq enable the fullest assistance to )?e given .to the primary producer. Supply of all necessary fertilisers pn long credit payment to be m9.de in proportion to increased output. Promotion of reciprocal trade agreements with Great Britain and other countries. Organisation of contracts for sale of New Zealand pro-, ducts overseas, with guaranteed reciprocal trade. Negotiations to prevent undue fluctuations in prices, with ultimate' stabilisation"-" for given periods. Secondary Industries INJaximurp suppprt to secondary industries, jnyestigati.on of markets overseas for N.ew Zealand-manufac-tured products, extension of flome markets fpr New Zealand products. Cultivation of, and assistance in, the promotion pf the fpllpwjng industries: Goal carbonisation, flax products, motor assembling, assistance in reorganising woollen, clothing, I boot, iron and other industries with a view to meeting the requirements of the Dominion from its own factories, with adequate safeguards for economic prices. | Construction, maintenance and met-j ' ailing of backblocks and other roads. Co-ordination of motor, railways and shipping systems with a view to supplying the most economical services at the lowest costReduction of interest and rent charges, with right, of appeal by mortgagee and property-owner to prevent hardship. Immediate provision of productive work to enable unemployed to earn, sufficient to maintain themselves find their dependants, with ultimate transference to ordinary productive employment. The Labour Party will re-introduce the graduated land tax on large land holdings; maintain the conciliation and arbitration system for the negotiation and settlement of differences and disputes between employers and employees; maintain existing educational, hospital and pension facilities. ,The call to all electors is for the expansion of industry, so that those at present unemployed may be once more absorbed in industry, earn their own living, and make their own homes. .•The natural resources "are available

—the human resources are at present idle—the Labour Party believes j that it can command the credit which j will link the human with the ma- j terial resources. With the maximum j encouragement to private initiative ' and the careful, co-ordinate planning of our requirements and production, we can start the Dominion once more on the road to prosperity, which is the rightful due of all our citizens.