LABOUR’S TEN YEARS IN OFFICE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 285, 3 December 1945, Page 4

LABOUR’S TEN YEARS IN OFFICE

CITY CELEBRATION PROCESSION AND ADDRESSES

(Special) Wellington, Dec. 1 Celebrating the Labour Government's ten years of office, Labour supporters, numbering upwards of 2000, marched in procession, six abreast, through the main streets of Wellington this morning to Parliament. Buildings. where an address was presented to the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) and his colleagues expressing appreciation of their administration. The procession, which included a fair number of women, had the assistance of several bands, and dozens of banners, each supported by about six persons, were carried. Practically all dealt with the Labour Government's record in office and its pledges for the future. Impressive as many of them were in design and text, their effect was largely lost towards the end of the procession, where banner followed banner in quick succession. A larger muster would no doubt have enabled the banners to be spaced more widely.

Features of the procession were the inclusion of a number of Greeks, mainly youths and girls, in their national costume, with a banner expressing their country's gratitude for help given by New Zealand, and Maoris marching under several banners with the texts in the Maori language. Another feature was a large coloured likeness of the Prime Minister carried aloft with the other banners. Hundreds of people watched the demonstration, and at various points along the route numbers of them joined in the procession in response to invitations from the marchers. While the procession was in progress trams were diverted from the main streets and some of the smaller business establishments closed their doors so that their staffs could watch the march. IN PARLIAMENT GROUNDS The procession began to arrive in Parliament grounds about 10.30 a.m. and the different groups, with their banners carried high, formed up in front of the main steps of Parliament House under the direction of Mr. J. Collins, secretary of the Wellington Labour Representation Committee, and a member of the national executive of the Labour Party. A light drizzle started to fall just as everything was in readiness for the formal part of the proceedings, and the speeches were not unreasonably long. There were three speakers. Mr. F. P. Walsh, president of the Wellington Trades Council, Mr. J. Roberts, president of the New Zealand Labour Party, and the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser). The Prime Minister was accompanied by members of the Cabinet and Labour members of Parliament. Mr. Walsh .-aid they were glad of the opportunity to express warm appreciation of the splendid services the Prime Minister, his Cabinet colleagues, and the Labour members of Parliament had given to New Zealand during the past 10 years. No decade in New Zealand's history had been more fateful and no other period had been so productive in progress and great achievement, both in peacetime and in war. Mr. Walsh paid tribute to Mr. Fraser's leadership during the war, and to the team-work of the Government and its Parliamentary supporters. The achievement under Labour was an impressive piece of legislative history pointing to even greater things in the future. During Labour's regime un. employment had been banished, the wages bill had been increased from £66,000,000 Io £155,000,000, Social Security had been provided for everybody, benefits had been introduced that were the highest in the world, there were free medical and hospital treatment and free medicine, a 40hour working week of five days had been successfully established in factories, industries, and offices, a record programme of national development works had been undertaken, guaranteed prices had been provided for farm products, there had been extensive construction of State rental houses, and over £16,000,000 had already been spent on rehabilitation of servicemen. It was the earnest hope of them all that the Prime Minister would be given health and strength to continue his good work as leader of the Labour Government and the New Zealand Labour Party. Mr. Roberts said it was inspiring to see such a wonderful demonstration and it had been still more inspiring to him to march with “those grand old comrades of the Labour movement.” they were ten years past the period of they were 10 yearsp ast the period of the depression, unemployment, and human misery that existed before the late Mr. M. J. Savage had formed the Labour Government. They had experienced the results of wonderful Labour legislation, and what had been accomplished was due not only to Mr. Savage, Mr. Fraser, and his colleagues, but also to the work of the Labour movement generally, and those working in the fields, factories, and workshops. If they were to do honour to those who had fought and died for them, if they were to play the game by the men. and women who had returned from overseas, it they were to make New Zealand the country it ought to be. and if they were to fulfil the Atlantic Charter and the new social order, they had to unite and be determined that unemployment, misery, and human unhappiness would never be known in New Zealand again. START OF SECOND TEN YEARS Mr. Fraser said that, having completed 10 years in office, the Labour Government now started out on the seepnd 10 years. He thanked those present on behalf of his colleagues in Parliament, and in Cabinet for having come to show their support of what the Government had been privileged to do. As the procession had wound its way up to the steps of Parliament House carrying aloft the banner of their late loved leader, Mr. Savage, he had thought of lhe many years ot effort that lay behind Labour’s first election to power. He also thought of many friends and comrades who had not lived to see the day when Labour's principles had been put into effect stalwarts such as Mr. Harry Holland. Mr. and Mrs. McCombs, Mr. "Tim” Armstrong, and Mr. "Ted" Howard, ■ and many others all over the country but for 'whose efforts there would ■ never have been 10 years of Labour i Government. Mr. Fraser draid tribute Io the rank 1 and tile supjwtters of the Labour ' Party, and sSid he desired also lo : thank the whole nation for the supi port it had given during the war ■ period. Even in the midst of war ■ Labour and succeeded in maintaining ■ and even advancing the social, and I economic position of the people, and i once more they were extending that > programme so that the Atlantic Char- • ter and the pledge that had’ been ■ given at San Francisco of full employI ment would he carried on. They wanted to ensure, by again returning ’ Labour to power for another 10 years, , that, poverty, misery, and degradation • would never invade their shores and - afflict the people any more. > On the .all of Mr. Collins, three 1 cheers were givetufor Mr. Fraser and i the Labour movement. The proceedings opene by the Waterside Band playing the National ' Anthem, and concluded,,, with “God ~ Defend