LABOUR PARTY’S PLANS FOR FUTURE

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 October 1946, Page 6

LABOUR PARTY’S PLANS FOR FUTURE

CONTROLS STAY ELECTION POLICY (Special) Wellington, Oct. 217 ‘‘The aim of the Labour Goverument is to carry into the immediate future on an extended scale the policy and programme which has been an unrivalled success in building the highest general standard of living in the world.’’ .'states the New Zealand Labour Party’s election manifesto, which ■was released to-day. “This can be achieved only by holding steadfastly to the principles which have guided it in the list decade. It can be attained only by conscious, comprehensive, planned development of all the activities and resources of the Dominion. Such plans are already in hand, while some of them are so far.advanced as to permit of an immediate start being made with actual work.” The basic principles of the Labour Government's financial policy are given as:— , Retention of stabilisation. Public ownership and control of the Reserve Bank and the Bank of New Zealand. Prevention of inflation and deflation. Maintenance of purchasing power according to the availability of commodities and services. ' Repayment and reduction of public debts, external and internal. Progressive reduction of interest rates to the lowest economic level. Payment of guaranteed prices for ■ primary products to cover costs of | production and provide a fair and ade- | quate return for the producer Development of manufacturing industries on a sound basis, especially those using locally produced materials. Provision of full employment with a guaranteed minimum wage. Maintenance and explansion of living standards. . “In order to conserve oveiseas funds and ensure a steady supply of capital and consumer goods as well as raw material, the Government will continue its policy of exchange control and import selection,” the ntani- I fe*to states. “Efforts will be made to ensure that after provision for the payment of debt and other charges, ttte maximum quantity of our exports will be exchanged for goods produced in the United Kingdom.

HOUSE RUUJHNG PLAN’S••Under th- State Housing Scheme ever tl,m~ ■ <»w have l>een conl " Dieted and 3504 more are in course of construction. In addition, 1274 others have been built by Government dephrtments, such as the Railways and the Education Departments, and 2725 bouses have been built for the Maoris, The total number of houses either built or financed by the Government ia 42,480,” the manifesto states. “The Government has now launched D.five-year plan to overtake the housing shortage. It will itself build, or enable the private house-owner to build no fewer than 60,000 houses during the five-year period. Probably less than half of these will be State rental houses, the remainder being constructed by private individuals.” The Government’s future plans also [ provide for the erection of 2000 hrsuses i for bush and sawmill workers, and trie I encouragement of the production ot I Other New Zealand produced building materials in addition to Umber. Some measure of ‘building control will be continued so that “luxury building” will not prevent normal home construction. To stimulate home ownership sections on which purchasers may erect their own homes will be set aside in areas acquired for State housing projects. and will be sub-divided, roaded. drained, and reticulated by the Government. Government financial assistance will also be made available for I Individual home builders. rehabilitation, war PENSIONS. i The manifesto states that the Gov- i ernment has already advanced more J than £27,000,000 to establish exservicemen and women on farms and ‘ in business, and to help them purchase homes, furniture, and tools ot trade. Definite plans had been prepared to settle 6000 ex-servicemen on the land within the next four years. Of that total, half were to be settled on single farm units purchased through the State Advances and halt on blocks of | land purchased by the Lands Department tor subdivision. The total cost of this programme would amount to approximately £54,000,000. The Government had mapped out a five-year programme for the training of building tradesmen in carpentry, bricklaying, painting, plastering, and joinery. During this five-year term there would be trained approximately SSOO carpen teft, 600 bricklayers, 2000 painters. 550 plasterers, and 100 joiners. These trainees would, during this period, erect 7500 houses. The Government would continue to train ex-servicemen In a wide variety of callings. Men and women would he trained for the professions, trades, business, and farming. They would be established in businesses of their own. If they have been injured they would be encouraged to train in a job which would have regard to their capacity. Full hospitalisation, medical, and nursing care had been provided and such other medicines and appliances as were necessary. With the object of assisting those with dependent children, It was decided to provide a mother’s allowance. This was payable to the wife of a war pensioner with; dependent children and also to a war widow. HEALTH SERVICES. “Recognising that there are many persons who. because of physical disability. require an invalidity or other pension, and who would be happier if earning a full livelihood, the Government has decided that the facilities at present being utilised for the training of ex-servicemen will be continued in order to train for worthwhile occupations those who are physically handicapped,” the manifesto states. .-It is proposed as soon as practicable to provide artificial aids and appliances. at least in part, at the cost of the Social Security Fund. Such benefits will be restricted at the commencement to the expensive appliances required to alleviate serious

types of physical disability, and to enable the disabled person to follow* a useful occupation.

“It is proposed to take advantage of the organisation providing artificial limbs for ex-servicemen, as well as the facilities offered by the splint departments of the larger puplic hospitals. The inauguration of benefits in respect of artificial aids is dependent on the availability of skilled personnel together with the supply of appliances from overseas.

“It is hoped to make early provision for the dental treatment of all children and adolescents. This scheme visualises a salaried service. Until State dental clinics can be established the services of private dentists are to be called Negotiations are in progress for an approved range of treatment on a contract system, expected to bring a further 100,000 young people under treatment annually. “The need for an ambulance benefit has long been apparent. Hospital boards do not provide free ambulance services as a right. The introduction of such a benefit involves the cooperation of the existing services and I extension to other areas. Hospital | boards will be empowered either to establish ambulance services in their I areas or to subsidise approved organt- ' sat ions ” DRUE AGAINST T.B, “Particular emphasis will be placed on the treatment and complete eradication of tuberculosis. To this end a drive has already begun towards eliminating tuberculosis from dairy nerds, particularly those producing milk for town supply. Legislation will ne introduced next year giving more effective powers for the control of tuberculosis. ‘The conservation of infant life will De assured by the provision of more thorough ante-natal care for all expectant mothers, by ensuring more specialist care during premature labour, by providing increased facilities for the care of premature infants after delivery, and by the provision of more ante-natal beds in maternity hospitals for the treatment of conditions likely to lead to the birth of premature infants. “To ensure the success for this scheme, encouragement has already been given and will continue for the training of more Plunket and Karitane nurses to enable a number of maternity hospitals at strategic points in the Dominion io maintain a fulltime nursery service for the reception and care of premature or weakly infants. An extension of the Home Aid Scheme, together with the provision of residential and day nurseries will ensure more freedom and rest for the mothers of young children.”

LAND DEVELOPMENT. “Labour's Dominion-wide and comprehensive policy of developing our marginal lands in both islands will be intensified during the next five years. Existing plans provide for development by the Lands and Native Departments for rehabilitation purposes of ploughable scrub land and better class pumice lands exceeding 200.000 acres. Tn both islands there will be development of irrigation by the Works Department. Already approximately 100,000 acres have been .irrigated, 170,000 acres will be covered by schemes already in operation or about to be commenced, and a further 272,000 acres are contemplated during the planning period. “A total of more than half a million acres of land which at present Is unproductive or producing only a fraction of its potential capacity will be available for settlement and will add appreciably to the total production. Swamp land reclamation will also be proceeded with. “The Government’s land settlement policy is concentrated in the meantime in the direction of rehabilitating ex-servicemen. As soon as that task is complete, the experience and organisation of the department in the settlement of ex-servicemen will be placed at the disposal of those who have not qualified for rehabilitation assistance but who nevertheless desire to undertake a farming career. “This post-rehabilitation land settlement scheme will provide for 14)0 per cent, advances by the State to approved young farmer applicants for the purchase of land, stock, and cattle. 'Hie system operated so successfully by the Rehabilitation Board of grading farm applicants according to their experience and the districts in which they are likely to apply that experience to best advantage will be continued as part of the post-rehaWli-tation land settlement scheme.

“Young working farmers will be given every encouragement to further improve their skill and knowledge by taking approved courses at the agricultural colleges. City lads who are interested in farming will likewise be encouraged to gain experience at approved farms and at agricultural colleges with a view to ultimate settlement on farms of their own.” PRODUCTION OBJECTIVES. The main objectives towards which the Labour Government’s policy for farm development will be directed during the next five years are:— To increase meat production, particularly lamb, beef, and pork, to a total of 575,000 tons by the end of 1951. To increase the production of wool up to 170,000 ions in the same period. To cultivate an area of 400,000 acres of cereals and pulse crops. To rebuild dairy herds to the level of 1,800,000 cows in milk with butterfat production of 200,000 tons. To encourage the development in certain areas of fruit, \egelable, egg, and liquid milk production to provide for the domestic market; to secure closer settlement, and to ensure more diversified production.