REPLY TO QUESTIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 26 October 1935, Page 2

REPLY TO QUESTIONS

“WOULD FORM GOVERNMENT.” MR. FROST AT WELBOURN. If the party had the greatest strength in the House of Representatives after the election it would form a Government, said the Rev. F. L. Frost, Labour candidate for New Plymouth, at a meeting of 40 electors at the Welbourn hall last night when asked if the Labour Party would form a Government if it had not a majority of the House. If the other parties combined it might mean that they would form a Government, said Mr. Frost, but the Labour Party would attempt to obstruct that and have another election to decide the issue. An interjector questioned Mr. Frost when he stated that the exchange had benefited the wealthy and impoverished the poor. Mr. Frost eaid it was possible for the wealthy man to send his wool clip to England and have it held before selling it. He thus gained the exchange rate, securing an additional £25 a £lOO. He benefited from money paid into the Consolidated Fund by the Dominion as a whole. The average man was unable to gain this benefit. The interjector: All right; it is your meeting. Mr. Frost: Yes, I know it is. I thank you for your interjection. You are helping me. I Asked if in the event of war overseas he would oppose conscription, Mr. Frost said he would not commit himself. He did not think that a New Zealand expeditionary force would be required, as there were signs that the League of Nations would triumph. If the Labour Party was in power it would be with the utmost reluctance that it would resort to that last fatal act of humanitywar. He was against the principle of conscription. They should make the country so beautiful that if it was in real danger every man would detem it his duty to volunteer his help. Mr. Frost was asked whether the Labour Party would endeavour to bring about a position of stabilised wages and hours of work for dairy and farm workers. He had investigated the conditions on the farms and in the factories, he said, iand he was of the opinion that young boys so employed were having a hard time. He urged that farming should be done on a scientific principle, the work being done in properly apportioned shifts. There was an urgent need for a new system, and with the Labour Party in power and in close consultation with the man doing ‘ the work conditions would be improved. The stabilisation of hours of work on farms was only a mater of management and spending more money on wages and less on motor-cars. He was sympathetic with the farmer and the long hours he worked, but it was a matter of planning. The Labour Party would oppose any scheme for immigration while unemployment was in existence, said Mr. Frost. A Labour Government would settle its internal problems as quickly as possible and then bring into the Dominion suitable immigrants. Saying that he was not interested in racing, Mr. Frost said it was for the people to decide whether bookmakers should be licensed, the double. totalisator introduced and the publishing of dividends permitted. At Omata he had been asked why it was that butter sold on the English market at Is 2d a pound while the price in the Dominion was Is 6d. On that occasion he had said he was unable to answer the question, but later investigation had led him to believe that the exchange rate accounted for the difference. Butter arriving at England was valued on the sterling rate, and 20s was 25s in New Zealand currency. Therefore the English consumer was buying 25s worth of New Zealand produce for 20s. A vote of thanks and confidence was passed without a dissentient voice. Mr. J. A. Mills was the chairman.