MR SIM AT TE AWAMUTU

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 79, Issue 7137, 25 November 1949, Page 4

MR SIM AT TE AWAMUTU

CORDIAL RECEPTION BY LARGE AUDIENCE MOST ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING The residents of the Borough were given their first opportunity on Wednesday night of hearing a personally delivered political speech in the present campaign when Mr G. F. Sim gave an address in the To Awamutu Town Hall. The ,‘was most artistically decorated with beautiful flowers and as Mr Sim said in returning thanks to the ladies who were responsible it gave a friendiy atmosphere. There was an attendance of about 400, easily the largest in the present Waikato campaign and the largest meeting held in Te Awamutu since the general election of three years ago. As Mr Sim accompanied by the Mayor (Mr G. Spinley), entered the hail the popular member for Waikato was accorded an ovation, the applause continuing until he had mounted the stage. The Mayor said that Mr Sim was known to the majority of the audienceHe had had the honour of contesting the Rotorua election six years ago, when he captured it for thhe National Party. Owing +o the redistribution of seats the Rotorua seat was abolished and Mr Sim was invited to Waikato, which he won with a large majority. At that time his health was not the best but apparently he had thrived on politics and in Waikato. Mr Sim, who on rising to speak was heartily applauded, first thanked the Mayor for presiding and his kindly words of introduction. He also thanked the large audience for being present and to hear reasons why they should vote for the National Party. They had a responsible duty to discharge on Wednesday for they were to elect the Government and he hoped to give reasons why they should support the National Party. Mr Sim went on to say that it was becoming increasingly difficult for a speaker to introduce new subjects because other speakers had dealt with so many of them over the air, but there were several things of fereat importance to-day and different people placed them in different categories. Mr Sim in the main spoke along similar lines reported in the Courier on several occasions. Among those subects were the system of legislation by Order in Council which he condemned and which he said the National Party would abolish and introduce what is known as the White Paper system, which would enable those concerned to consider the proposed legislation before it was introduced as a Parliamentary Bill. Mr Sim dealt also with such matters as taxation, inflation, the Reserve Bank and the free enterprise system, th© failure of the ’Government to implement their promise to reduce the cost of running the country and Mr Sim’s views on the above subects have been fully reported.

Mr Sim said that in 1946 the election was fought on the question of ultimate socialism, but since then they have “soft-pedalled” on that subject, but they are still carrying on the fight for that objective - for under socialism the people had higher taxation, less goods and more controls. While it was true that the Savings Banks accounts had gone up, yet they had to remember that those increased savings were made by people with ambition in life and they had put away money until such times as they could build a home or buy goods when they could get them. Those savings were not in the main made by socialists. After fourteen years of socialism the people find that socialism did not work because the socialists didn’t work unless for the profitmotive system. “They have become the great capitalists in the country to-day,” said the speaker. Mr Sim closed his address by stressing the fact that there was no difference between Socialism and Communism and he asked the electors when casting their votes to analyse the position as he (Mr Sim) had outlined, and after doing that Mr Sim said he felt he could with confidence leave the people to decide the issue on Wednesday. Mr Sim was given a hearty round of applause as he resumed his seat. Mr Sim who was at the top of his form spoke' for an hour and the only interjections were those that served to stress the arguments advanced by the speaker. Question Time

Question time saw Mr Sim at his best and his incisive answers called forth loud applause, even if on a couple occasions they did not satisfy his questioners.

The first question to be asked was relative to what relief, if any, the National Party would give regards taxation on capital expenditure.

Mr Sim said that the matter was a very involved one because of the past fourteen years. There might be some justification for a reduction in such taxation if an increased return was made in the way of goods. In reply to the next question Mi Sim said that the Government was not able to handle the goods and primary production and he characterised the transport system in that respect as be ing a “general mess.” Things would when the?railways; was, run by a Minister who knew his business. The true Government was the Federation of Labour who determined when and how long ]the workers would work.

In reply to a question as to the National Party’s attitude on the Land Sales Act, Mr Sim quoted the Party’s policy already reported at several of his meetings.

A questioner wanted to know if small suburban farms would be interfered with? Mr Sim in his reply, said it all depended on the types of farm and a lot of implications were involved, so the question was one that would have to be looked into. They would come under the Land Sales Act which the National Party wanted to do away with within 12 months. The next questioner wanted to know what Mr Sim had to say about alleged statements made by Mrs Hilda Ross, M.P. and Mr Gotz, National Party candidate for Otahuhu that they would resign if reductions were made in social security benefits and wages. Mr Sim said he was not the keeper of Mrs Ross or Mr Gotz but he would

honour the promise of the National Party that said that social security and wages would not be cut. Another questioner wanted to know what it cost the taxpayers of New , Zealand to buy the Maori vote. Mr Sim said that the question was too difficult for him to work out, but probably the Government Statistician could tell. The next question seemed difficult to grasp, but it came from a man who held aloft the National Party pamphlet “A Family Affair” and he wanted to know if Mr Sim preferred the 1933 prices or 1949 prices and conditions. Mr Sim said he would lik-a to see the purchasing power of the £1 restored to its former value and not Ils 6d as it was to-day. “The conditions of 1935 were better than the people in Britain were enjoying to-, day under a socialist Government,” said Mr Sim amidst loud applause. On the motion of Mr John Dudley and Mr Allan Smith a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr Sim for his address. A similar vote to the chairman was also carried by applause. In acknowledging it, Mr Spinley appealed to all to record their votes and to avoid apathy because of the general impression that Waikato would again be won by Mr Sim.