SOCIALISM CONDEMNED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 123, 27 May 1938, Page 9

SOCIALISM CONDEMNED

LABOUR POLICY CRITICISED MR H. C. VEITCH OPENS CAMPAIGN ADDRESS TO YOUNG PEOPLE The opinion that the next generai election would not be fought on a question of policy but on principle was expressed by Mr H. C. Veitch, National Party candidate for the Wanganui electorate, when he opened his election campaign last evening al the Savage Club Hall at a public meeting tor young people. Mr Veitcii said that the electors would be called upon to express their opinion on the principles of State monopoly anc Socialism as opposed to the rights ol private enterprise. There was a good attendance oi young people, and the speaker was accorded an attentive hearing. There were a number of interjections of a friendly nature, to which the speaker replied in humorous vein. Mr Douglas Eerie, chairman of the Wanganui executive, presided. Reasons for Addressing Youth. Mr Veitch said that ne had chosen a youth meeting for the opening 01 his campaign because he was a member of the younger generation and because the issue at tne next election was one which was of serious importance to the youth of the country. The issue at the next election would be whether the Dominion was to continue with the socialisation process or return to the policy which nad brought New Zealand to its presen l position. The election would be an important one in that the electors would be called on to decide once and for all whether they favoured the policy of Socialism. If the present Government was returned to power it would have a clear mandate irom the people that its policy was approved jy them. Dealing with the growth and composition of the National Party, Mi Veitch said that they had been told frequently that they had no policy. It was true that they did not have a clear-cut policy because things were moving so fast that it was impossible to Lame a policy that would be oi use in six months’ time. The second reason was that the Labour Party itself did not have a policy and had not stated what it would do during inc next three years if it wore returned to power. The next election would be a question of principles. His party and he himself were strongly in favour oi the principle of trade unionism but believed that it could be used wrongly by giving it a political bias. The muonal Party was not prepared, however, to make membership of a union compulsory, and it was his opinion that the Labour Government had made unionism compulsory in order to strengthen its tunas. He considered that unionism would be more successful if it were voluntary. His hearers could take it that compulsory unionism would go. Social Services V. mid be Maintained. Lt had been -said that the National Party would slash wages and abolish many ol the present social services. Social services, however, did not include the throwing ol money here and there merely to increase th-? spending power ol the people. Provided that it could continue to do so, the National Party would continue the present social services and probI ably would extend them. There had been abuses of the sustenance funds under the heading of social services, the position now was tnat. if a man did not like to accept work which was offered to him he could receive assistance from the sustenance funds. This was not a social service but an antisocial service. "Every penny whicn is taken from you for men who will not work is not only ruining the morale of this country but is increasing the price of goods and that is one of the reasons v.ny the cost of living is rising,” said Mr Veitch. The pretent Government was wasting large sums of money on public works whicn were not adding to the productivity of the Dominion. Furthermore, there was not the slightest justification ioi the public works policy being adopted in New Zealand. This policy drawing away from proper investment channels, money vvnich would otherwise go to provide those men engaged on public works in productive employment. Men were being urawn from the country and it was obvious that the policy was wrong which robbed the country's main industry of its labour supply. A Voice; Did you ever work on a farm for 5s a week? 1 did. Mr Veitch: I received lbs a week. I must have been twice as good as you. Heavy Burden of Taxation. Mr Veitch said that the Dominion could not bear the present volume ol taxation unless the price of wool and nutter kept up. Tne great mass ox taxation or increased taxation was paid by the working man. If the Government had been desirous of helping the working man it would have carried out its promise to reduce taxation. He thought he could safely say that had the past Government continued in office until to-day tin unemployment tax would have been, if not entirely, at least almost abolished. The workers would find that they were paying something like six weeks’ of their wages to the Government each year in taxation and that to a Government which had promised ot reduce taxation. Mr Veitch said that as the process of Socialism was pursued the Government would have to rely more ana more on wages and salaries for its taxation. Tnat was the very great danger of allowing this policy of slaie control to continue. This was evident in the proposals for the national superannuation scheme, where the money was to be collected from salary and wages. This scheme was the most stupid and the wickedest thing evei introduced in this country, said the speaker, after dealing at length wilh the financial side uf the proposals. The people would be regimented and there would not be the incentive far the doctors to give the best service. The best brains of the medical profession would leave the country and there would be a general deterioration in the standard of the medical profession. The panel scheme had been tried in England without success. Dealing with the State housing scheme, Mr Veitch said that it was evident that the people were not going to receive what they should in the way of housing. Private enterprise wuld not make up the leeway and the

stage had been reached when Government enterprise could not do so i either. The housing shortage was not ', being cured, but accentuated, and in his opinion the scheme had been one of the Government’s greatest ; The Dominion had to be content to allow the Government to lose money on the housing scheme in the same; way as money was lost on education I because it was a necessary social service. Under the Labour Party'sl scheme the housing department was i an investment department becausel the Government was endeavouring to - recoup the expenditure on the State i houses. The policy of the National j Party was to assist building societies i so that the taxpayers could build ! homes for themselves. The housing I scheme broke down because it did not i allow a man to own his home. HL party would make full use of the State Advances Department in pursuing its housing scheme. In concluding, Mr Veitch said that the next general election would be fought not on policy but on principle. Mr Veitch answered a number of questions at the conclusion of his address and was e-'-orded a hearty vole Of thank* •