LABOUR POLICY.

Wairarapa Age, 3 July 1936, Page 5

LABOUR POLICY.

PRIME MINISTER REPLIES TO MR. FORBES. POSITION OF PUBLIC SERVANTS. UNIONS & PARTY FUNDS. WELLINGTON, July 2. Commenting on criticism of the Labour Government’s policy by the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, at Auckland, the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) said to night that when. it came to preserving the rights and savings of the people, this Government would compare more 'than favourably with the last. By Acts of Parliament, he added, the previous Government deliberately took away from the people well over one hundred million pounds of wages. Also Mr. Forbes’s concern for the welfare of children did not come well from the head of the former Government, which made it impossible for five-year-olds to be admitted to State schools. The Labour Government was just as well able to handle big issues as its predecessors. Mr. Savage continued that Mr. Fprbes had spoken of “the new tyranny ia New Zealand,” but they had only to look at the Public Service to see not a new tyranny, but an old tyranny, and it was only since the new Government came into power that public servants could express themselves directly and play an intelligent part ia the government of their own country. It was a misstatement of the position that every man had to join a union, and that unions could be called on to subscribe to the funds of the Labour Party. Men were wanted in the unions,' not only to'protect the advantages already gained, but to help in an intelligent development and control of industry. It was for the unions to ■decid#‘ What political party they .affiliated with. It was pure unadulterated rubbish for Mr. Forbes to say the Labour Party could call up half a million pounds to assist them in a political campaign. What Labour had in the way of political funds always would be small compared with that of their opponents.—(P.A.)