LABOUR’S VIEWPOINT

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19622, 8 July 1935, Page 8

LABOUR’S VIEWPOINT

POVERTY AMIDST PLENTY*

ADDRESS BY MR PARRY, M.P.

BRITAIN’S AGRICULTURAL POLIC?,

A large gathering at the Toorak Hal! last evening heard Mr W. E. Parry, Member of Parliament for Auckland Central, attack the anomalies of the present administration and explain the failure of the Government policy to deal with the position arising from the depression.

In opening his address Mr Parry said that it was his intention to deal with the policy put forward by the Labour Party at the beginning of the depression. The country would now have been in a far better position if that policy had been followed. In the flrst place it would be admitted that everyone in New Zealand with a few exceptions was in difficulties. The people had been advised to save, but their hard-earned savings were now gone. It was no exaggeration to say that in the cases of farmers and small property owners assets were in the hands of hanking institutions. Whatever might have been said about saving and thrift in other days could not he repeated now, for in earlier days the people were forced to be thrifty by the shortage of those things required to live on. There was every reason for thrift then. However, to-day there was an abundance of everything. Science was producing an abundance of things that the people should he using at the present time. , There was no need to-day as there was in the past for a philosophy of thrift as the people of the Dominion were now living in a time of plenty. Thrift to-day could merely be interpreted as the elimination of labour for if people stopped buying less labour was required. The world, continued Mr Parry, had a greater industrial production than it had in 1920 which was considered the peak year after the war. The speaker then quoted Illuminating figures to prove his contention. Yet the number of unemployed in the world to-day was estimated at 120,000,000. By the increased efficiency of machinery, which meant the elimination of labour together with an increase in production, there was now a surplus of goods manufactured by machines which the unemployed were unable to buy.

Agricultural Policy of Britain.

Britain was compelled by the selfsufficiency policy of other countries to embark on an expansion of her agricultural pursuits. Was it at all likely that Britain would swerve from this policy by the presence of two Ministers of the Grown representing a mere million people? Mr Parry then read an extract from a lecture by Mr Walter Elliot, British Minister of Agriculture, which showed that in England there were ten limes more people employed on the land than in New Zealand and this and other reasons compelled England to follow her present agricultural policy. Japan by her Imports of sheep was showins that she was planning for the production, of wool on a large scale. Indications also were that she was planning for the production of butter for export, and when it was considered that she was only nine or ten days distant from the British _ markets the seriousness of the position could be gauged. Brazil with a population of 40,000,000 was now producing enough butter for her own use and next year would be exporting it. This was the position that was arising in every country in the world to-day.

Decreased Income.

In 1929 the Dominion’s income was £150,000,000 but now it had dwindle! to £90,000,000, a decrease of £60,000,000 which meant that this lastnamed sum had been taken out of circulation from the purchasing power in the Dominion. The Dominion’s securities in England were simply goods that the people were entitled to foe the goods exported. As long as private individuals had the right to trade in the credit that belonged to the nation selling it hack to them at s_and S per cent, and so long as they had tha> assets which the people had created,' so long would tlie nation have the bankruptcy court and the people suffer because of the lack of an equitable medium of exchange. Proposals of Labour.

Labour proposed to fix the price of butter and to establish a control of currency and credit which belonged to the community. With the control of currency it would be possible to fix the price of butter for stability of price was. impossible as long as they depended on prices realised abroad. It had to be remembered that the Dominion's problem was not in England but in New Zealand. If Labour was returned to power a decent superannuation would be given to every man and woman when they reached the sunset of their lives. Further the message that Labour was giving to the people was lhat they should receive an income commensurate with productivity and as productivity iucrcasod so would their incomes increase. This was Labour’s guarantee to the country.

In conclusion Mr Parry slated that he hoped solid supporL would be forthcoming for the Labour candidate for Hie Hamilton electorate and so help to end the policy of poverty that had permeated the country in Hie last few years.