JUNIOR REFORM LEAGUE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 424, 15 November 1930, Page 8

JUNIOR REFORM LEAGUE

RALLY AT MARTON. MR COATES WARMLY WELCOMED Six hundred and fifty young people foregathered at the Civic Theatre, Marton, last night at the function organised by the Junior Reform League (Marton branch). The height of enthusiasm prevailed. The Right Hon. J. G. Coates, P.C., M.P., received an unique and truly poetic Maori welcome from the pupils of, the Turakina Maori Girls’ College Among those present were Messrs Linklater, J. Nash and Taite te Tomo, M.P.’s, and Mr R. Stewart, Reform candidate for Bangitikei at the next election, and Mr Gordon Eliot, candidate for the Oroua seat, Messrs F. Turnbull, J. Finlayson, of Wanganui, represented the Wanganui branch of the League.

Mr Archie Gibson, president of ihe Marton branch of the Junior Reform League, welcomed Air Coates and tho visitors. He said the Marton branch is just in its infancy. This is its first birthday and if the enthusiasm of this meeting is a criterion, we shall have many happy returns of to-day. Even if we don’t provide a Prime Alinistei from our ranks, if we do help to put Mr Stewart in for this constituency, we shall have justified our existence.

The Right Hon. J. G. Coates said: “1 am sure that if Mr Forbes and Mr Holland saw this meeting they would not feel so comfortable about the next election. I want to congratulate the members of the Junior Constitutional Reform League in Alarton on this event. In Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton, Dunedin, Palmerston North, Dargaville, and Whangarel, there are branches of the Junior Reform League. I wish to express my appreciation of the work being done by the junior members of Tbc Reform Leagues throughout the country in assisting the junior movement. “Part of the Reform Party's programme is the care of the Maori people of the country. We offer them a wide inducement to join our party, and there arc no more valued members of the Reform Party as Messrs Taite te Tomo and T. Heuare. The Alaori have been in possession of these islands since the Eleventh Century, and their presence here enriches our country immensely. There are already 199 members attacned to the Alarton branch. It offers every young person to become acquainted with the politics of the Dominion. It does not imply that you are bound in conscience to stay with the Reform Party for all time. It, after you have investigated, you desire to go elsewhere, you are perfectly free to do so. I suggest it is a duty to exercise the vote in the interests of their country as a whole, to take the widest view, the highest ideals, and all that the British constitution stands for and to maintain that great status which is the Britishers’ heritage. I suggest that you should join an organisation such as this to aid you to carry out that duty.

Class Legislation. ** Jt lias been said that the Reform Party stands for clasas legislation. There is room for all classes in our Party stands for class legislation, stood for class legislation or advocated it. We, as a party, have always stood for the best interests of the community as a whole. We have always tried to serve the whole community so that each man gets a fair deal. I will admit that when ccomonic depression exists, as it docs to-day. that many experiments are tried. But 1 am sure "Hint every time we will go back to the party system. The Independent member is ineffective. He is a voice crying in Ihe wilderness. Ihe party system is the only means that cau give a return to the community ol the pledges that are made at the elections. The Independent member, to be effective, must align himself with a party. Alone, he can do nothing. Unemployment. “The Refoorm Party recognises the country’s duty to the unemployed. As far as the Reform Party is concerned, we desire to do all wc can to help. Me recognise that the ‘dole’ is only a palliative. The main question is: ‘How can we re-start the wheels of industry so that labour cau be absorbed in the ranks of the unemployed?’ We are in difficult times just now. Last year wc received £3,509,900 from our exports; because prices were depressed, this loss of national income is pressing hard on everybody. The farmer is receiving about 1914 prices, whereas the costs of production are 65 per cent, above 1914 prices. Our problem is to bring those two prices together. Our party has made a suggestion as to how it can be done. Some will have to spend less. Everybody will have to bear his full share of responsibility, and we say that the sacrifice must be borne equally by each section of the community alone, and not bv any one section.

A vote of thanks and <"nfidence m Mr Coates, as leader, was moved by Air Roger Simpson.

OFFICERS CONGRATULATED

The following are the officers of the Junior eform League who were publicly congratulate'! by the Kt. Hon. J. G. Coates on tho splendid results attending their efforts at last night’s meeting at Alarton: President, Mr A. R. Gibson; vice-presidents, Messrs A. K. Simpson and S. AlcJarrow; secretary, Air IL Low; treasurer, Air H. Parker; executive committee. Aliases Al. Brice. D. Parkes, E. Aloo’rc S. Stuart and Messrs H. G. Briant. R. K. Simpson, L. Ale Lean and R. Moore.