LABOUR’S ELECTION POLICY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXL, Issue 20261, 9 November 1935, Page 5

LABOUR’S ELECTION POLICY

“PROSPERITY FOR ALL” INTENTIONS IF GIVEN OFFICE By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, November 8. The policy of the Labour Party for the coming elections issued to-»day by Mr M. J. Savage, Parliamentary Leader, Mr Walter Nash, National President and Mr J. Thorn, National Secretary, states that the objective of the Party is to utilise to the maximum degree the wonderful resources of the Dominion. On the formation of the first Labour Government every elected member of the Party will assist in writing and administering the following reforms into the laws of the Dominion: State Control of Currency and Credit To ensure the maximum utilisation of the resources of the Dominion, the Labour Government will make the Reserve Bank a completely State-owned institution by the purchase, at market rates, of the shares now held by private persons, and thus ensure that the credit of the nation shall be used for the benefit of all the people. Post Office Savings Bank The Labour Party will safeguard the people’s savings by extending the facilities of the Post Office Savings Bank and by removing the present restrictions on deposits. Mortgage Corporation and State Advances The action of the Government in setting up the Mortgage Corporation with private shareholders has destroyed the State Advances Department—one of the finest State activities that has operated in this or any other country. More than any other known agency, department, or organisation, the State Advances Office by its financing of land settlement, development and house-building, has been responsible for a considerable portion of the progress of the Dominion. With the reorganisation of the Dominion’s production the State Advances could again provide facilities for land development I and house-building. The Labour Government will reorganise the Mortgage Corporation on lines similar to that previously operated by the State Advances Department. Guaranteed Prices During the first year after taking office the Government will pay guaranteed prices for all primary production. These prices will be fixed after negotiation with, the representatives of each primary industry, and will be based on the average return to farmers over a period of, say, the past eight or ten years. Simultaneously with this procedure the Labour Party will negotiate Trade Agreements on a reciprocal basis with the nations of the British Commonwealth and other countries for markets for the maximum quantity of our primary products. Statutory Minimum Wages and Salaries (a) The immediate restoration of all wage and salary cuts; (b) The institution of a statutory minimum wage and salary payment to all workers of a sum sufficient to provide an adequate standard of living, such sum to be graded upward according to the value of the extra skill, knowledge and experience of each worker. National Health Service The Labour Government will introduce a National Health Insurance Scheme to provide a health service for every contingency that may face the ordinary citizen. After having made a thorough examination of the various reports from the British Medical Association, the Hospital Boards’ Association, and the Special Committee set up from the Public Service to investigate a National Health Service, the Labour Party pledges itself to work in co-operation with the Friendly Societies, the medical, pharmaceutical, dental and nursing professions for the purpose of instituting a service that will—(a) Give every citizen the right during ill-health to call in his own medical practitioner, to consult and receive the services of specialists where required, and, by the reorganisation of our Hospital System, to make available all other services that are necessary for the restoration and maintenance of health. (b) Extend the Home Nursing Service so as to provide all the attention necessary for mothers or other members of families when it is not convenient for them to leave their own homes. The Labour Government will provide the necessary Laboratory facilities to maintain the efficiency of the services, together with adequate payment to practitioners and others who carry out the work. The service will be available for every family. National Superannuation The Labour Government will provide for the reorganisation of our pensions system so that pensions or superannuation will be payable to— . (a) All persons who through illhealth are unable to work; (b) All widows and their dependents until they reach working age; (c) All persons who through war injuries, war disability, accidents or other disabilities are unable to work full time at their ordinary occupation; (d) All, persons over the age of sixty years.

Education The Labour Party, after forming the first Government, will reorganise the whole Educational System for the purpose of introducing the most modern educational methods, to make the school life of the individual child more profitable, happier and healthier. This will entail an extension of teachers’ training facilities with larger staffs in our schools, smaller classes, the extension of kindergartens, reintroduction of the right of entry to the five year olds, better equipped schools and kindergartens, and a long term plan for new school buildings. Organised Employment. Pending the organisation of productive employment the Labour Government will immediately increase the present relief pay. The Labour Government will organise productive development work, including railway construction, Public Works, construction of necessary roads and bridges in backblocks, assistance to Local Authorities to advance works, fostering of secondary industries. One of the first steps of the Labour Government will be to ensure a full share of the national production to those who are willing to work. New Zealand’s standard of living will be determined in New Zealand by New Zealanders in accord with New Zealand’s resources. Secondary Industries Taking into account the developments overseas in connection with agricultural and other primary products, the Labour Party considers it imperative that the markets for all products within the Dominion must be extended. The maintenance and improvement of our standard of living, if imports do not exxpand in proportion to the population, can only be accomplished by fostering such secondary industries in the Dominion as can produce commodities economically. The Labour Government will therefore give every encouragement to the reorganisation of existing industries and extension of manufactures within the Dominion. The policy will be conditioned by—(a) Maximum utilisation of research knowledge and mechanical inventions; (b) Reduction of hours of labour; (c) Guaranteed minimum wages and salaries.