PRIME MINISTER

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21155, 30 September 1938, Page 15

PRIME MINISTER

ADDRESS AT DUNEDIN SOCIALISATION OF LAND NOT CONTEMPLATED By Telegraph—Prase Association DUNEDIN, September 29. Scenes of extraordinary enthusiasm were witnessed at the Town Hall tonight when about 4000 persons, as well as many who were unable to gain admission to the hall itself, listened to an address given by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, who spoke for about two hours. He received a hearing that was interrupted only by bursts of applause and was closely followed as he reviewed some of the legislative achievements of the Government and dealt with various phases of the economic life of the Dominion. He was flanked on the platform by Dunedin Labour candidates and their wives, for whom generous applause was given, and he received a rousing ovation as he made his way to the stage accompanied by the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, and the PostmasterGeneral (the Hon. F. Jones). The meeting was presided over by the president of the Otago Labour Representation Committee (Mr P. G. Connolly), who briefly introduced the Prime Minister. “In the first place,” said Mr Savage, “our opponents say the battle is between private and public ownership, but we have both in many lines and we have yet to learn there is any battle. The world Is moving and as society feels that public ownership of a certain utility is desirable on economic grounds, that is generally done. You have that in the Post and Telegraph Department and in 1000 other ways. We are alleged to be out to socialise not only farms but also small business men. and in stray moments I sometimes wonder what is going to happen to all these people when we socialise them. “Our job,” Mr Savage said, “is to put people on the land and keep them there, to help them get the best out of the land and give them security, better security than they ever had before. In days gone by there were many battles between those favouring freehold and the champions of leasehold, but in spite of all arguments we did not get security of tenure. We want land to be in such a state of production that farmers wont be in debt all the time.” It had been said that the Government wanted to turn New Zealand into a State farm but he personally would sooner be the owner of a farm and working it in his own interests than working it in someone else’s interests. And what he wanted for hhnself he wanted for everyone else. Shopkeepers seemed to be in doubt. He assured them that the Government had enough troubles of its own without going into their business. The Government wanted a system that would give the best results and would not interfere with anyone else’s business unless that person started to Interfere with the welfare of the nation. It was better to have a State monopoly run in the people’s interests than a private monopoly and the dictation of terms and prices to everyone. “I want all the people to have a say in the inheritance of the earth,” Mr Savage said. “More than 60 per cent, of the depositors in the savings bank have less than £2O in the bank, and only a comparative handful of people have anything to will to anyone else, and we want to make it possible for the people of this country to inherit something worth while.” The Prime Minister then dealt at length with the Social Security Legislation on the lines of his Christchurch speech. Defence Dealing with defence, Mr Savage said the Government had done a lot in the last three years. They had not travelled so far as their opponents would like, but had travelled just three times as fast as the previous Government had. They had mechanised the Territorial forces and had built up something in the nature of a decent air force with the assistance of Group Captain, the Hon. R. A. Cochrane, “but criticism comes badly from the party that reduced the defence expenditure from £1,000,060 in 1930 to a little more than £600,000 in 1932. We must spend money on defence whether we like it or not. The world seems to have taken leave of its senses, but I am pleased to say that the situation to-night is brighter than yesterday.” Dealing with the position of farmers, Mr Savage said they were better off to-day than ever they had been. He would like to assure them that they were not going to lose anything by reason of the fact that the price of locally consumed produce was not increased when the guaranteed price was fixed. Later their interests in that respect would be carefully protected. At the conclusion of the address, cheering lasted for some minutes, and a vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously. OBSTRUCTIONISTS TAKE CHARGE By Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND, September 29. Heckling and noisy obstruction were almost continuous when Mr J. Park, the National Party candidate for Onehunga, attempted to address a meeting at Te Papapa to-night. The candidate was prevented from giving any serious exposition of the political questions of the day, and after attempting to compete with the noisy opposition he was compelled to bring the meeting to a close. The theatre was packed by an audience of about 350 persons. An attempt was made to move a vote of thanks, but this was counted out and the meeting ended in disorder little more than an hour after It started.