Meeting In The Wanganui Opera House Pledges Its Support To The Labour Government

Wanganui Chronicle, 4 November 1949, Page 6

Meeting In The Wanganui Opera House Pledges Its Support To The Labour Government

Address By The Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser

Confidence in the Labour Government, in the Kt. Hon. Peter Fraser as Prime Minister, and Mr. J. B. Cotterill as member for the Wanganui electorate, and a pledge to do everything possible to ensure the return of the Government, were unanimously expressed at a largely attended meeting in the Opera House last night, which was addressed by Mr. Fraser.

The meeting concluded with three cheers for the Government. In the chair was the Mayor of Wanganui, the Hon. W. J. Kogers. M.L.C. Mr. J. B. Cot♦erill briefly addressed the meeting.

“We are proud of our record and we want the people to understand it.” said Mr. Fraser. He claimed that the Labour Government had abolished poverty and was the first Government in the world to do so and that New Zealand was the first country to set out to do so. Labour had established freedom from want and the fear of want. Economic security from infancy to old age had been assured the people of New Zealand. Dealing with unemployment throughout the world, Mr. Fraser said that in New Zealand unemployment was only .11 per cent, of the population. There were 113 people out of work in New Zealand and they were mostly people who could not do heavy work and were awaiting light work and men who had passed the age for working but who wished to keep in employment, which was to their credit. New Zealand had no unemployment policy and yet not one of these men was suffering want. In previous Governments there had always been from 10,000 to 14,000 people out of work; today there were just over 100. This shows that something had happened; something effective had happened, something which was to the benefit of the people. Mr. Fraser said he intended to ask Mr. Algie on what objectives the Government had overspent? He wanted to know, too, on what objectives the National Party would cut down expenditure? Dealing with the question of abolishing the batter ration, Mr. Fraser said that production during the present season was 20 per cent, ahead. In spite of the increase in the amount of the New Zealand ration, it was hoped to be possible to send a greater amount of- butter to the Old Country. HOUSING SCHEME. During the last election campaign, Mr. Fraser said, he had said that he believed that the Government could build 60,000 houses in the next live years. The yearly building progress had exceeded that and had been from 13,000 to 14,000 houses a year with more than 16,000 houses in the past year. H e believed that during the next three years, 50,000 houses could be provided. This was twice as high as the building rate before the Government took office. Building restrictions, which had been necessary, could be relaxed. He did not see anything as good as the State rental housing scheme in New Zealand. They were garden areas. Social security provided that the rents could be paid if nnemplojnnent came, and the Government would see that it did not come. Provision had also been made for people to will the tenancy of State rental houses so that thay "could remain in the same family.

Dealing with the scheme to advance up to 90 per cent, on the construction of new homes, Mr. Fraser said that in aertain cases the Government would advance up to 95 per cent, and even 100 per cent. The term of the loan would be 40 years and the rate of interest 3i per cent. The Government intended to make th e taking out of an insurance policy compulsory so that the widow and children would be assured of a home. Every applicant would have to take out an insurance policy on its life so that the widow could have the house free of any charges so far as the loan was concerned. The State Advances Department had assured him that this scheme could be carried for just under 30s a week.

Stating that the whole credit structure of New Zealand was under the control of the Government, Mr. Fraser said that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the Bank of New Zealand were controlled as efficiently as any Government or person could control any credit structure. That was going to be endangered now by the “funny money” policy of the National Party. He had asked Mr. Holland questions about this policy, but so far he had nbt answered them. “He might answer them tonight,” he said.

A voice: He won’t. Mr. Fraser said that th e Government realised that credit and currency were matters that could not be fooled about with or experimented with. The

Government had frankly and openly, used the national credit for the build- . ing of houses for the nation. There | was no danger when there was an addition to the material volume of goods and services of inflation in normal times, he added. GUARANTEED PRICES. Realising that New’ Zealand was an exporting country and that if there was to be prosperity in the country there would have to be prosperity at the basis, the Government had introduced the guaranteed prices for primary produce. Many of the farmers had been opposed to it even though it had been proved to be the salvation of their industry. He felt sure that if a ballot of farmers had been taken the guaranteed price scheme would have been turned down. Now he felt sure that if a ballot were held, 95 per cent, of the farmers would vote for it. H e referred to the agreements recently concluded with the United Kingdom, the farmer had been given protection for the future. No Government had ever done so much for the primary producers of New Zealand. The Land Sales Act had been passed for the protection of the returned servicemen who wished to settle on the land. The Government did not wish to repeat the experience of World War I, when men took up land at exorbitant prices and eventually had to walk off their farms broken financially and in spirit. The Minister of Lands had told him that the need for compulsory acquisition might pass away within two years. He could not understand men not wishing to give their land for the settlement of exservicemen, because if it were not for the men who went overseas they would not be on their land today. The Land Sales Act had abolished land speculation in New Zealand. factory production. The volume of factory production in New Zealand had increased by 89 per cent, from 1945 to 1947, said Mr. Fraser. This reflected the national prosperity of the Dominion. “The Labour Government has done as much as any Government in the world to raise the wages of the workers, to improve their conditions of work and to give them amenities as good as possible,” said Mr. Fraser. The millions that had been spent on the rehabilitation of men who came back from the war was in no way sufficient to recompense them for what they had done for their country.

Social security payments had increased from £3,600.000 in 1935 to nearly £48,000,000 last year, said the Prime Minister. “Does this represent extravagance and waste, as Mr. Algie says, or does it represent the best in human happiness?” he asked. In 1935 there were 91,000 beneficiaries; today there were 518,000. Did the people feel less free because they had no fear of want? Did the people feel less free when they left hospital and were not presented w’ith a bill when they were just starting their convalescence? Had th e people lost freedom through the removal of the fear of being unable to provide for their loved ones during sickness? There was a time when people would not go to a doctor or enter a hospital because of the fear of incurring a debt. The incidence of tuberculosis among the Maori people had been reduced considerably and could be reduced further. Dealing with education, Mr. Fraser said it was true that since 1936, £73,000,000 had been spent on education. This money was being spent in construction and was money that was well spent. The Government was interested in children who showed exceptional qualifications and if the circumstances warranted they would be provided with scholarships as had been done in the past.