MOTUEKA SEAT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 281, 28 November 1932, Page 7

MOTUEKA SEAT

BY-ELECTION CONTEST LOSS OF COUNTRY QUOTA VITAL COALITION POINT NELSON, Nov. 26. The by-election to fill the vacancy for the Motueka seat caused by the death of Mr G. C. C. Black will be held next Thursday, December 1. There are 9631 eligible electors on the Motueka roll, compared with 8706 at the general election, an increase of 925. The candidates, Messrs K. J. Holyoake (Coalition), P. C. Webb (Labour), and the Hon. R. McKenzie (Independent Liberal-Labour) have all been actively campaigning in the electorate, which covers a wide area from Nelson to the West Coast. A large army of Parliamentmians has been engaged in forwarding the claims of the respective Coalition and Labour candidates, Mr McKenzie having to fight a lone hand. The supporters of the Coalition candidate, Mr Holyoake, have beeu warning the electors that if the Labour Party ever attains the Treasury Benches the 28 per cent, country quota will be assuredly lost. The point has been made that the 28 per cent, advantage maintains the balance of power in the House between country and city. Mr Holyoake stated at Riwaka that the Labour Party was pledged to abolish the advantage, and the result would mean practically disfranchising the primary producer. Speaking at Appleby in support of Mr Holyoake, Mr A. Harris, M.P. for Waitemata, dealt with the country quota as follows: “The whole of the future of the primary producers of this country is bound up in the following:—Under the present law in regard to constituencies and their numerical strength country constitutencies are allowed 28 per cent, less electors than town constituencies. The reason for this is on account of the size of country constituencies and the necessity to keep an equal balance of representation between town and country in our House of Representatives. The Socialist Labour Party is pledged to abolish this country quota, and if returned to power will surely do it—the result would then be the reducing in numbers and consequent loss of representation and enlarging in size country constituencies and the direct increase in city constituencies. This would mean the primary producers would be at the absolute mercy of the Socialist Labour Party, and the complete domination of the country by the city.” Labour and Railways The completion of public works is advocated by Mr Webb, the Labour candidate. In a meeting at Little Wanganui he declared that uncompleted railways should be completed. Even if they did not pay during tho next fifty years, they would be necessary for the general advancement of the country. Mr Webb stated that all new railways were opposed by certain interests, who claimed that they could never pay. The West Coast to Christchurch line would never have been laid had the Opposition of that day had their way. Any policy of employment that fell short of useful productive work was condemned, and when the Labour Party came into power it would set about having all unemployed engaged on productive works. LABOUR’S POLICY TO COUNTER DEPRESSION ADDRESS BY MR HOLLAND WESTPORT, Nov. 26. Last evening tho Leader of the Opposition, Mr 11. E. Holland, addressed the largest political meeting yet held in Karamea. He reviewed the economic situation in New Zealand and contrasted statements made by Mr Forbes and Mr Coates a few months ago to the effect that wo had turned the corner with Mr Forbes’ latest declaration that tho next twelve months will be the blackest in the history of the Dominion. JNfr Holland outlined the Labour Party’s policy of economic reconstruction and for tho rehabilitation in industry of men now on relief works, and said that a Labour Government would provide whatever money was required to finance works of real value to the country. He contended, however, that tho amount of additional currency needed would not be large. There was quite as much money in New Zealand now as prior to the depression, but the Government’s policy of deflation had aggravated the consequences of slump prices overseas and had slowed down the velocity of both the legal tender currency and the cheque system in the Dominion. With a restoration of tho purchasing power the velocity of money in circulation would return to normal, but if additional currency should bo required it would be provided. He said he was not advocating inflation, but stabilisation. The Labour Party stood for a planned system of production, distribution, and marketing, with arrangements for a guaranteed price to primary producers on, say, a five-yearly moving average. As the meeting concluded almost tho whole audience rose and gave cheers for Mr Webb, the Labour candidate in the Motueka by-election.