LABOUR PLAN

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 274, 25 November 1935, Page 5

LABOUR PLAN

Mr. Munro’s Speech

PRESS MESSAGE BBFEBBED TO

BY LEADER OF OPPOSITION

(Per Press Association) AUCKLAND, Last Night.

In the course of an addrieiss at an opien-a/ijr meeting on Saturday night, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr M. J. Savage, referred to the Press l message from Dunedin and the .statement made by the Prime Minister at Tima.ru to the effect that Mr J. W. Munro, M.P., had stated /that the “Labour Party has a plan prepared which will be put into action the moment, a run on the .Savings Bank is commenced, ” and that “somebody might be put in gaol who least expects it to-day;” and further, (that “If we cannot carry cut our policy we will go out and smash things. ’ ’ "Mr Munro has since telegraphed an assurance t'o me that the Press account was an unscrupulous misquotation of his remarks,” said Mr Savage, “and I am not surprised in the least to ffnd such tactics ate being used by our political opponents.

“After having known Mr Munro for over a quarter of a century, I find it very difficult to beli'eve he would he culpable of making the irresponsible and misleading statement attributed to him.’ ’

Dealing with the statement alleged to have been made by Mr Munro, Mr Savage stated that in the first place the Labour Party did not anticipate any run on'the Savings Bank, and had never discussed, any plan th deal with such a remote (possibility. Tn the second place, it was not the policy of the Labour Party to gaol their political opponents, tas (tlhat looked too much lijke the policy of the present Government'. Thirdly, it was not the intention of the Labour Party to “go out and smash things” in the event of difficulty in implementing the policy. Things had already been smashed by the Coalition. Government. The ipiolicy of Labour was to build. Mr Savage concluded that a wicked attempt was being made to stampede the electors on the eve of the elections. He gave a personal assurance /and the assurance of the Labour .Party, that they would remain true to their, election pledges, which were t'o carry out the functions of government by constitutional means and with the co-op eratibn of the people. A vote of thanks to Mr Savage and confidence in him and the Labour Party was carried with enthusiasm.