LABOUR CRITICISED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 279, 25 November 1931, Page 11

LABOUR CRITICISED

EXAMPLE OF AUSTRALIA MR. VEITCH AT GONVILLE Tn his address at Gonville last night, Mr. W. A. Veitch, Coalition candidate for Wanganui, made comparisons between the legislative prog'ramme of the Labour Government ot the commonwealth, New South Wales in particular, and that of the Government of New Zealand, both of which had been directed to cope with current economic conditions. Mr. J. Morrison was in the chair and appealed for an attentive hearing for the speaker. Mr. Veitch claimed to have served the people of Wanganui in particular and the people of New Zealand generally to the best of his ability. No man could do more than lt was for the people to judge between the candidates. This was the first time there had been a straight-out fight between two candidates since he had waged electioneering campaigns. There had always been three at least, and that fact presented difficulty to the public. This time there were just the two and the electors would have no difficulty in deciding in favour of one side or the other. PoUtics in Britain. Mr. Veitch dealt with the political situation at Home. There was a sense of national fear when the elections in Britain took place. The people realised the necessity of placing in power a strong and stable Government. The sweeping result of the poll had restored confidence, not only in Britain, but in the whole of the European conutries with which she did business. If the result of the election in Britain, a minority Government had been placed on the Treasury benches foreign countries would have continued to unload their liabilities or investments in Britain until they crippled the Bank of England itself.

Pointing out the financial dangers threatening the Dominion, Mr. Veitch appealed for support for the Coalition Party at the polls. It would be a disastrous thing if New Zealand could net meet her liabilities, he said. It would be both dangerous and undignified. If Britain had not done the right thing she would have lost the confidence of the great European countries with whom she did business. It followed, too, that if New Zealand shirked her financial responsiblity she also would lose the confidence of the other Dornin ions and of the Mother Country. The only way the Dominion could maintain her credits was by applying the principles of sound finance, by economising wherever possible, uy imposing such extra taxation as could safely be borne and thus balancing the Budget. It was when it came to the question of placing the finances of the country on a sound footing that the party the speaker supported came to cross purposes and crossed swords with the Labour Party. The position could be met justly. He could assure the electors that the Governmexri could restore the finances of the country without unjustly cutting wages. There had been a great deal of talk by the Labour Party about cutting pensions. Mr, Veitch assured the meeting that such a course was not contemplated. Australian “Cuts.” He intended to show how the theories of the Labour Party had worked out in practice in Australia. In the Commonwealth the Labour Government had cut wages and salaries 20 per cent. In New Zealand the cut had been 10 per cent. The Arbitration Court of the Commonwealth had reduced wages under awards, on the cost of living basis, by 15 per cent, and ten

per cent as an economy measure, a total of 25 per cent. Not Enough Money “Where did the policy of the Labour Government place New South Wales!” Mr. Veitch went on. “I am not unduly criticising them. Every sane person must, realise that a Government can only spend the money it has. New South Wales applied the same theories as are advocated by tho New Zealand Labour Party—to go • on spending money, hoping that they would succeed by the dynamic force of excessive expenditure. Where did it land them! At the end of the year they bad no money to pay Civil Servants’ salaries. The Civil Servants got their money eventually, but not before New South Wales had to borrow it from neighbouring States and tho Civil Servants in those States, and the people in them generally had to make more sacrifices to find the money.” Questions In reply to questions Mr. Veitch said that he did not say that the Labour Party and Communists wore one and the same, but there was mighty little difference between them. A Communist was one who would bring about the downfall of the constitution by revolution. If a man said he was not a Communist but got up on the platform and preached the policy of Communism, he would be a Communist whether he knew it himself or not. If the Labour Party’s policy was to bring about the downfall of the country, and the speaker considered that he had proved that it would, then the members of that party were Communisms, wnether they knew it themselves or not, and irrespective of what they intended their policy should do. Ho would do all in his power to prevent reduction in pensions. If there was not sufficient money to pay them, then they could not be paid, but he had already stated that the curtailment of pensions had not been contemplated. The finances of the Dominion did not warrant it. Ho was in favour of extending the life of Parliament to four years. Tho best way to assist the poultry farmers was to abolish tho duty on wheat. The Government had already made reductions in the wheat duty and ho was in favour of taking it off altogether. He was in favour of tho present law as it related to the reduction of interest. This gave tho Supreme Court very wido powers to deal with cases of hardship on their merits. The powers granted were the most farreaching that had ev*r nopn given (t Court in New Zealand, probably in the world. Ho thought the charge of sixpence made for collection of moneys under

the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act was unfair, and should be put right. Mr. Veitch was accorded a vote oi thanks and confidence. A vote o; thanks was accorded the chairman Both candidate and chairman expressed their pleasure at the way in which f fair hearing had been accorded th< address.