STATE CONTROL

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22137, 8 September 1943, Page 6

STATE CONTROL

| LABOUR’S INTENTION POLICY CONDEMNED The policy of the Labour Government was to foist State control on all sections of the community, and • this was being put further into effect under the cloak of war, said Mr W. Sullivan, M.P. for Bay of Plenty, when speaking to a large i. \. d &;v.oHamilton, last night. He claimed that the Government had been wasteful and extravagant in expenditure and that lack of foresight had resulted in a shameful manpower muddle. The various by-elections had : shown how the public now regarded ! the Labour Government, said the ' chairman, Mr A. M. Bisley, in introducing the speaker. The increased majority of the Nationalists at these I by-elections, he said, could be taken | as an indication of the feelings of the people against increasing socialism. The chairman also introduced Mr F. Findlay, National candidate for Hamilton. Issue Between Two Parties “The coming issue is definitely between the socialists or the Labour Government and the Nationalists,'’ said Mr Sullivan in opening his address. He urged his listeners not to waste votes on Independants. There had been a definite swing away from the Government throughout the country and the movement was rapidly gaining momentum. It was certainly high time that an election was held and it had to be rememoered that the Labour Government nad not faced up to the electors under its present leader. Th& Government was leading the people along the road to State control. It was for the young people to. decide whether they were going to live under State control in the future or live in the freedom that was their heritage. They must live and build for the future. The policy announced by the leader of the National Party would guarantee safety, security and freedom for the I future. Parliament and Manpower In criticising the present manpower position in the Dominion, Mr Sullivan said that in view of the production expected of the farming community the Dominion could not possibly face up to the present commitments continuously. The 'question of manpower had been badly muddled. The Minister of Manpower, the Hon. A. McLagan, did not possess the qualifications for the position but had been put into it through his association with the Federation of Labour and not as a representative of the people. In spite cf recent statements made by the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, Parliament had never been consulted when the question of conscription was decided. Members of the Opposition had not been told a word about it until after the whole matter had been settled. Mr Nash

had deliberately misrepresented the position. It was the National Party’s strong desire to maintain the division in Middle East. In strrssinjr that the National Party hart no intention of dolnsr away with social security benefits, the speaker stated that such benefits hart been introduced as early as 1889. These beneilts hart been extender! from time to time and tbe Labour Government bad merely added to them. Tim National Party would not only maintain social security beneilts but would extend them Tor the welfare or the people. The inflationary policy or the Labour Government had been the greatest “wairecutter” or all time, continued Mr Sullivan in explaining- that the National Party would not cut wag-es. Civil servants had not beneflted rroni wape Increases and yet tbe Labour Government claimed that it was catering- for the working- man. Taxation Increase In instancing: how taxation had Increased despite Labour promises to the contrarv. Mr Sullivan said that whereas in lour, taxation was £ls 18s per head it hid now increased to £2 9 10s per head for domestic purposes only and £2 4 2s for war purposes, or a total of just over £53 per head. Furthermore, the public debt bad increased owing- to the Government’s wasteful public expenditure. Typical or its wa-teful policy, it was interesting- to note, that the Cabinet bad built an air raid shelter for itself at Parliament at a cost, o!' '£25.000. However, when tbe United Nations had posted the all-clear sign in ihe Pacific, the Prime Minister had immediately proceeded to erect a sumptuous office for himself at the top of Parliament buildings at a cost of £65,000. How many homes would this money have provided for the people? The losses In handling departmental afTalrs had been truly staggering. Criticising the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Act, Mr Sullivan warned his audience that although the Act only referred to farms its provisions would extend to t'ne sale of town and urban properties. Tbe Act had been hastily conceived and put Into operation and only the strenuous endeavours of the Opposition had prevented an even more unsatisfactory position. Housing Policy “We are going to reorganise tbe supply of material so that the people can obtain tbe homes they need,” continued Mr Sullivan. “The present bottle-neck is due to man-power and supply. The National Party has pledged itseir to do away with sales tax on all building material. It has been often said that the State had to take on the building or homes because private enterprise Tailed, but the Tact is that the hands or private enterprise have been tied by excessive taxation. We are going to arrange that the occupants of all houses will be given the opportunity of acquiring the freehold title to their homes. As much as 10 to 15 per cent could be saved in State housing construction by the encouragement of private competitive enterprise.” . Referring to the Internal Marketing Department as an expensive luxury, Mr Sullivan said the public was getting fewer commodities and had to pay dearer rates. Everything the department handled had become scarcer and dearer, ir there were to be sufficient commodities for tbe people tbe present shackles would have to be removed. The speaker was called upon to answer a number of questions at the conclu .ion or bis address. A vote or thanks, proposed by Mr A. L. Tompkins and seconded bv Mr G. Boyes, was carried by acclamation.