FIRE OF INTERJECTIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1935, Page 7

FIRE OF INTERJECTIONS

MR. SMITH AT WAITARA

HECKLERS INTERRUPT MEETING. NATIONAL CANDIDATE'S POLICY. CRITICISM OF OTHER PARTIES. Subjected to a running fire of interjections and other anonymous comment from a section of the audience, the Hon. S. G. Smith, sitting member and National Government candidate for the New Plymouth electorate, opened his election campaign at Waitara last night, speaking to an audience of over 300. The Mayor, Mr. J. Hine, presided, and was on his feet four or five times to ask for fair play for the speaker. The interruptions were not offensive. The candidate devoted part of his address to criticisms of other parties and defended his own and his party’s actions since the last election. For his statements in regard to the National Political Federation’s policy to be placed before the electors he relied largely upon the manifesto issued by the party from Wellington and published in the Daily News on Tuesday. At the conclusion of the address Mr. Smith answered several questions, mostly from Messrs. A. Dugdale and T. B. Ewens. A vote of thanks and confidence moved by Mr. Dugdale and seconded by Mr. W. Morrison was carried. As Minister of Education he was handling a portfolio which he thought was the most important, and as Minister of Employment he was handling the hardest, said Mr. Smith. The latter he had consented to handle again because he had previously had experience of it. He thought he was entitled to say that the unemployment situation had improved in the past seven months. Mr. Smith recounted his history as a member of Parliament and as a member of the Cabinet. “During the whole of that time I have had to face facts and make decisions,” he said. “I have never sheltered behind departmental officials and I take full responsibility for whatever decisions' 'have been made.” Mr. Smith claimed some credit for the improvement of Waitara’s school and postal facilities. He did not come before them as a stranger; of the four candidates opposing him three had been imported. Mr. T. B. Ewens: Aren’t they New Zealanders? GOVERNMENT FACES FACTS. The Government had faced the facts, Mr. Smith said. He read a list showing decreases in prices for primary products and said he was amazed to think that people could talk glibly about spending. He could tell the audience about a country that kept on spending and could also tell them, how New Zealand had avoided chaos. ' Instead of keeping up incomes, as another candidate had suggested, the Government planned, believing that within four years the country would be well on the road to recovery. No man, no financier, could possibly have had any part in causing a depression. A voice: They’ve got wings haven’t they? Mr. Smith continued by quoting figures which he contended showed the success of the Government’s policy. He commended the Government’s action in passing mortgage legislation following the world drop in prices. Tire bank rate had been brought down, and loans were available to farmers at 4 1-8 per cent., the lowest rate in the world. The subsidy on fertilisers i had been continued not as a benefit to a section but a benefit to the industry by which New Zealand stood or fell. He gaye particulars of concessions to farmers. “The time is not long past when the Labour Party used to rail against the help given to farmers,” said Mr. Smith. “Now you never hear a word of it.” The Ottawa agreements had made a great difference to the New Zealand meat exporter, claimed Mr. Smith, who instanced the arrangements made. Political interests had railed against the sending of Messrs Coates and Forbes to England A voice: It cost £9OOO. Mr. Smith j I don’t care if it cost £lO,OOO. If the leaders had not gone to England Australia was prepared to sign an agreement that would have cost New Zealand £830,000. Mr. T. B. Ewens interjected once again. The chairman: I have asked you to give this candidate the same hearing as you gave the others. (Applause). No one minds an. occasional interjection but this running fire is not fair. I don’t know whether the interjector is a member of the Labour Party (laughter) but I don’t think he can be; I don’t • think his party would stand for this sort of thing. (Applause). COALITION IN CRISIS. Mr. Smith defended the Coalition, which he said was necessary in a crisis. He condemned some of the attacks of opposing candidates, who, he said, had programmes put in their hands and had to speak from it. An interjector: What are you doing? “We hear a lot about ‘want in the midst of plenty,’ ” continued the candidate “But it must be remembered that it is the result of the system. I believe it can be improved but I will never vote for anyone who wants to destroy the present monetary system and replace it with something that has never been tried out.” Mr. Smith attacked the programmes of the Labour and Democrat parties. Labour had promised something for everyone and he had figured out the extra cost would be £34,000,000. Taxation was at present £20,000,000, so the Labour Party would to carry out its schemes require to raise £54,000,000 by taxation; -he rational income was £100,000,000 and the Labour Party proposed to take the money from those who had it; if it taxed on a flat rate it would have to collect £2 a week from anyone receiving £4. The Democrat Party had criticised the Government’s scheme for free milk for schools and had asked when it was going to be put into operation. The Government had been spending hundreds of pounds for milk for necessitous cases without making a song about it. He had seen the children in a Wellington school trooping out to drink their milk, getting their half-pint bottles and drinking the milk through straws. Mr. Smith continued to detail the Government’s policy on the lines of the manifesto, defended the action in connection with apprentices, and outlined what was to be done to place the education system on a better footing. Touching on unemployment relief Mr, Smith commended the arrangements made with regard to the Bell Block aerodrome, at, which workmen had made 12s and up to 17s 2d a day on contract work. From Monday there would be a five day week at 12s a day. A voice: Will that last till after the election?

Mr. Smith: It will last till the work is finished in February. The Government is planning other works which will last till after the next election and I will be there to see it.

Defending the unemployment policy, Mr. Smith claimed that New Zealand paid the highest rates in the world, although in many cases they were too low.

Mr. Ewens: Who pays for them? “I am going to deal with the Labour Party now,” began Mr. Smith, quoting an article. “This is what my opponent said at New Plymouth, or it may have been at Waitara.” A voice: Sure it was not at Hawera. Mr. Smith: Yes, the Labour Party was there—all eight of them. Defending the extension of Parliament’s term, Mr. Smith suggested that the Labour members were the most pleased of all the representatives. Quoting from newspaper reports, Mr. Smith pointed out that in speaking on guaranteed prices Labour candidates in all parts of New Zealand had said many highly contradictory things. A voice: We want to hear what Mr. Smith says. The guaranteed prices scheme was only to catch the farmer, said the candidate, and he knew the leader of the Labour Party would drop guaranteed prices if he were allowed to. v “I don’t want to embarrass my Labour candidate; he’s doing fine— A voice: You don’t sound like it. “but he has still got the soft pedal on. Labour members were afraid to talk in the final session lest they should annoy some one; in fact, I saw one well known member come in on tip-toe— A voice: So he wouldn’t wake you. Mr Smith quoted Queensland’s experience of a Labour Government. At this stage the chairman requested Mr. Ewens to keep quiet. Mr. Ewens: Oh, Sid doesn’t mind me. Mr. Smith: No, I don’t mind you Tom. I only feel sorry for you. Mr. Smith began to criticise the Democrat Party. A voice: Give us politics. Mr. Smith: 'Am I not entitled to reply to a candidate who spent an hour and a-half last night criticising my party. After dealing broadly with the “American” tinge to the Democrat Party’s policy Mr. Smith also criticised the Douglas Social Credit, move. In concluding he stressed the fact that were it not for England the world would be in bad way, and New Zealand had to line up with the rest of the British Empire. The Government had faced facts, had taken risks and had done unpleasant things, but New Zealand was the better for it. UNFINISHED RAILWAYS. He was in favour of the continuance of several unfinished railways to open up fertile country, said Mr. Smith to Mr. A. Dugdale. There were two reasons why the Wellington station had been proceeded with, because the station was needed and because it meant taking skilled artisans off pick and shovel work. Why was the Government building a “flash” railway station at Wellington When hospitals were needed all over the country, asked Mr. Dugdale. The hospitals were the care of the local authorities with Government aid, replied Mr. Smith.

“How long has it been possible for a wharf labourer to get relief work,” asked Mr. B. Gillespie. “Since I have been chairman of the board,” was the reply. “Is it necessary to stand down for a fortnight before getting relief work?” asked another questioner. That depended upon circumstances, Mr. Smith said. If a Waitara bank manager receiving £lOOO a year were to apply for relief work he would not get it, but a man with no money and big responsibilities would be given relief immediately. He was in favour of a State lottery said Mr. Smith, and he did not see why many people should receive commissions to send money out of the country. It was possible at present to pay higher rates for relief work because there were many more workers to pay tax. It had also been possible to reduce the tax because of the greater number of workers. In the event of there being three parties in Parliament after the election more or less equal numerically which would Mr. Smith vote for, asked Mr. Dugdale. He would stick to his party, said Mr. Smith. In the meantime he would not jump his hurdles until he came to them. After the rise in butter prices, said Mr. T. B. Ewens, there had been a rise in civil servants’ wages. What would happen if there was a fall in prices again? The Government could only spend according to its income, said Mr. Smith. If it did not have the money it would have to cut wages again.