MEWS ON FINANCE

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22150, 23 September 1943, Page 6

MEWS ON FINANCE

LABOUR CANDIDATE MR BARRELL AT MELVILLE Considering the wet night and other attractions which were taking place in the town the attendance was gratifying to him, said the Labour; Party candidate for Hamilton, Mr C.; A. Barrell, M.P., addressing electors at Melville last night. He pointed out that addresses had to be delivered at places in the suburbs, if only as a matter of courtesy to electors. Throughout his address, at the end of which the meeting carried unanimously a vote of thanks, Mr Barrell was given an attentive hearing, v/ith no interjections. Finance Pledges Carried Out Referring to finance, Mr Barrell said the Government had carried out its pledges in entirety. The Government owned and controlled the finances of the country. All money was simply based on the production of the people, who therefore controlled wealth through the Government. The Government or any other organisation controlling the finances of the country could produce prosperity or a slump. The slump, caused through restriction of credit, was man-made and, Mr Barrell contended. could have been avoided had there been at the time anyone with sufficient intelligence to take necessary measures. Pay of Civil Servants Mentioning the pay of civil servants, Mr Barrell said there were some who were not receiving the wage they were entitled to, but their rates would be raised as soon as possible. The speaker affirmed that the National Party had fought Labour on every measure they had put through, yet now the Nationalists were advocating the same things. He described it as hypocrisy. Speaking on taxation he stated that when Labour came into power in 1935 taxation represented 17.3 per cent of the total income of the people. Now, despite economic pressure caused through the war, it had risen only to 18.6 per cent. Defending the State housing scheme, Mr Barrell explained the obstacles in the way of carrying out their plans as proposed, in the face of demands for military hospitals and other establishments. Was it shortage of money or shortage of goods that had caused the slump? asked the speaker. During the slump there had been £44,000,000 lying in London to the credit of New Zealand. Every store in New Zealand was bursting with butter, cheese and meat. The money and goods had been available but statesmanship had been lacking. The people would remember, too, that there had been 57,000 men out of work during the depression. Today there was not one able-bodied man in New Zealand wanting work who could not find it. It was astounding to find, therefore, that the same people who had caused the slump were now asking the people to put them back into power.

National Debt “Since the advent of Labour,” said Mr Barrell, New Zealand had paid £11,000,000 off its national debt. Today the country did not owe one penny outside New Zealand for the war because of the Government’s policy of paying for the war as it went. Referring to the importance of education, Mr Barrell said that when Labour assumed office it found that education facilities had been sadly neglected. The Government had immediately reopened the teachers’ training colleges that had been closed, and re-admitted the 5-year-olds to the schools. “The Government is pledged to the soldiers, and he is going to get the best possible deal when he comes back,” said Mr Barrell in referring to the Government’s rehabilitation scheme. “This country is the only one in the British Empire which has yet done anything in the way of rehabilitation. We have already rehabilitated many hundreds of men. We are on the job. It is realised overseas that New Zealand has made a very valuable contribution to the rehabilitation of returned servicemen.”

MR THOMPSON AT HILLCREST

That the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, held too far-reach-ing powers over the people of New Zealand was the contention of Mr W. H. Thompson, Real Democracy candidate for the Hamilton electorate, addressing electors at Hillcrest last night. In 1937, during a visit to Great Britain, Mr Nash had attended a dinner of the Political Economic Planners organisation, which the speaker described as the biggest body of financiers in the world. Their intention was to crush out small businesses and establish monopolies throughout the world. Mr Nash returned to New Zealand imbuied with those ideas and put them; into operation in this country, said Mr Thompson. Mr Thompson covered several aspects of monetary reform. The only true standard of value was the result of an average man’s day’s work. Gold was not a true standard, as it fluctuated through being manipulated. Mr Thompson advocated a reform in education, providing greater opportunity right up to the universities for young people who were at present debarred from receiving adequate opportunities. Throughout his ad-; dress Mr Thompson was given an attentive hearing by a small but in-; terested audience. At the conclusion the speaker was kept answering questions for some time. He was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.

CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES

efforts to create a new order by changing only the outer forms of governmental systems were useless, and no real progress was possible, unless the change emanated from the hearts of the people, said the National Party candidate for Hamilton, Mr F. Findlay, in an address at Melville. “I believe that the application of Christian principles to everyday life will provide the only sure foundation for the new world order,” added Mr Findlay. “Briefly, what is required of each one of us is to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly, and if our national affairs can be conducted . on this plane we need have no fear for the future.”