WELFARE LEAGUE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 260, 2 November 1928, Page 8

WELFARE LEAGUE

REPLY TO MR. HOLLAND ■■POLITICAL, NOT PERSONAL” The Welfare League has made the 1 olio wing reply to Mr H. E. Holland’s attack on it, stating it is to be “political, not personal.” The Wellington Post recently com meuted on Air Holland’s shortness of memory when dealing with the Samoan question. We fear he has lost his normal memory altogether. He can remember quite well tilings that never occurred, whilst he forgets what was within his knowledge but recently. The Press of Wellington reported this state* . incut from him: “Mr Holland went on to refer to* the propaganda of the Welfare League, instancing an attack on ! the Post Office Savings Bank, which, it is declared, was interfering with private enterprise. In due course the Government reduced the maximum amount which might be deposited in the tost Office Savings Bank, driving huge sums into the privately-owned banks.” If he had taken the trouble to refresh his dreadful memory by reading page 723 No. .18 of Hansard, August, J 927, he could not surely have uttered such absolute nonsense as he did. Brieflv put. the Finance Minister on the Finance Bill in August, 1927, made it very plain that the Government intended to “reduce the maximum amount i which might bo deposited, in the Post Office Savings Bank.” The Welfare League did not interview the Prime Minister on questions of State encroachment on private business till February 28. 1928. The “ 192 S Committee” was not formed then. Still. Mr Holland’s suspicious mind secs how the Welfare League in February, 1928, framed the Government’s policy which was announced in Parliament on August, 1927. What a tortuous crablike view of events his erratic memory dis-| plays. V In this election campaign, Mr Hob

land and his party have nailed their colours to the mast of opportunism. Their flag is a parti-coloured rag, being red for the Socialists and Communists of the West Coast, and blue for the farmers up North. They have not yufi adopted white. As evidence of this opportunism we find this Socialist leader presenting an election manifesto which is denuded of all the Socialist planks of.' the party's official platform adopted : t its conference. The Socialist objective winch all of the candidates have to sign a pledge to “faithfully uphold and .i.i.v-heartedly work for” is not the manifesto, either in words or by implication.

Further, this manifesto in dealing with th e land question professes in favour of extending private ownership, a policy in direct conflict with the party’s objective. Ou the vexed question of unemployment, Air Holland is begging that no comparison be made with the Australian States under Labour Party Governments. No doubt it is inconvenient for him. Ke is, however, talking in ignorance of what has occurred in New Zealand. His assertion that the existing or recent unemployment is the worst our country has known is entirely wrong. For some time when Mr Seddon was in office, the unemployment was very much greater than what has obtained recently. The rates of pay on relief works started iu Wellington were 4/6 per day for married men and 3/6 for single.

This is no reflection on Air Seddon or his Government. It is but a statement of fact. The truth is that the Liberal Government and local bodies did as things would do with them and that, also, is what has been done on this occasion.

The Government alone has spent nearly a million on relief, and, as nobody knew how long it would last, they had to go steady. Air Holland, by his professions, would spend many millions in all directions, but up till now neither he nor his party have presented any finance policy but to tax ami tax a»d still to impose taxation. In their platform they say “extension of the State Advances Office to provide all credit necessary for primary production.” Then they advocate a. State Bank and Agricultural Banks. For what? When the State Advances Office is to provide all the credit neees sity. These be thy gods—O workers! We believe the majority of the workers will recognise the feet of clay in this graven political image. After all the people expect political honesty from the parties- That they will state their case without subterfuge or evasion. A leader and party that come before the electors with two programmes iiffering in character, one of which is presented openly (mainly Liberal) an.l the other (truly Socialist) hold behind their backs, should be voted off the field.