NATIONAL PARTY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 208, 16 June 1936, Page 3

NATIONAL PARTY

NEXT ELECTION ORGANISATION.

ADIIIRESoSI BY MR FORBES.

(Special to the “Guardian.”) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day‘

More than 300 Cal'lterbury supporters of the New Zealand National Party, including representatives of all electorates in Canterbury and the West Coast, last evening endorsed the action of the recent conference in Wellington, which formed the party, and undertook “enthusiastically to work 'for its success at the next general election.” The meeting was addressed by the Leader of the Opposition (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) and Messrs S. G. Holland and H. S. S. Kyle, members of Parliament.

The speakers and the chairman (Mr Arnaud McKella-r) emphasised the need for a strong organisation to work for the party, not merely at election times, but also during the intervening periods. Mr McKellar emphasised that the new party was not a "hash-up” of old parties; it was a new party, open to all electors who were opposed to the policy of the Labour Government and who believed that it was in the interests oi the country to remove its members from the Treasury benches. Mr Forbes, who was greeted with hearty applause, also said that the utmost unanimity prevailed among ne members of the conference in Wadington, which set up a permament Vational Party. Under the Coalition it was impossible to attain the same organiisation. The two organisations, after going their separate ways {or a long time, had to get together :it election time. That was a severe handicap. Economy Unipopular. When New Zealand was so badly af—fected by the depression, the last Gov—ernment found it necessary to do some thing to put the countny in a: sound, position. “It was no time to look for popularity,” said Mr Forbes. “We de-. termined to do the right think to bring in measures of economy. We knew that was bound to meet with criticism and to make us unpopular, but we believed that no right-thinking citizen would hawe us sidestep what we felt 'to be a national duty.” The Government had followed a defi—nite plan right through, and although wages came down, the cost of living came down correspondingly, and there was no reduction in the purchasing power of money. That was not the sort of programme to make a political party considered the sound and proper party popular, but it was what the party considered; the sounder and proper policy for the country. “The electors said something different. They did not like economy, or the people who put economy into effect,” said Mr Forbes. “Now we have a party in power which is prepared to go to the other 93treme. It is prepared to spend—_‘ the sky’s the limit.’ It is not concerned with the question of who is to provide the money. When the former Govern—ment met requests for expenditure with the reply, ‘Where is the money to come from 2” they thought that the greatest joke under the sun. “The first consideration is whether there is a demand for expenditure. The cost comes after.” The Government had put on the statute book measures to give effect to its spending policy. With its control of the Reserve Bank the Government had the power of inflation and control of currency. It had undertaken a programme of extensive public works expenditure, and it had bought the whole of the dairy produce of the country. “_We have come up against a state of affairs which we could never have dreamed of,” said Mr Forbes. “We cannot have things which cost money without hav« ing to pay for them, and the bill for all' this will have to be met.” .

Markets Endangered. I At the adjournment of the House, said Mr Forbes, he had remarked that the country was looking to the Government to learn at the next session where the money was to come from. “Without setting myself up as a prophet, I can say safely that the in—come tax is going to get a. pretty good whack. These men claim that they at least have con-rage. There is such a thing as the valour of ignorance, and it is easy to conceive their rush. ing in and doing things that must be disastrous to the country.” I While in England, Mr Forbes had been impressed with the need, in order to conserve New Zealand’s interests~ in the Home markets, of pre-_ venting any suggestion that New Zea- i land producers were subsidised. Any ‘ such impression would have the result immediately of causing English producers to press for protective duties. Here the Labour Government was openly subsidising producers, and the speaker feared for what might happen when the British farmer woke up to the position. New Zealand might easily lose the advantage it had. previously had in the British market. “The Government seems to be guided by nothing but irresponsibility. It has no regard for cost and. no regard for consequences. No matter how good the intention, that intention can cause even greater difficulties than the ones it aims to avoid, and there is a very real danger that the pesition of the worker at the end of it all will be worse than it is now. Already the cost of living is mounting; up. Mr Savage cannot prevent prices from rising; he cannot prevent people from charging the prices necessary to make production possible.” Dominion’s Reputation. ‘ There: was a difficult task ahead, said Mr Forbes, for a spending Government could purchase popularity. The enormous spending, however, could not be continued indefinitely. “What we can do, and what will appeal to all right-thinking people, it is put the country on to the rails again and restore the reputation of New Zea—land has enjoyed over the years. First we. have got to have an organisation equal to our opponents’ in strength. It can be done. I feel sure that the people of this country will not sit

‘down and see us going headlong to disaster.” Mr J . A. Polton (the secretary), outlined the plan of organisation, appealing; for unity and cohesive effort. Each provincial council would be master in its own house, he said, and each electorate would have the choice of its own candidate. It might be assisted and advised by the provincial or Dominion council, but it would not be dictated to. Four provincial councils would be elected, and the Dominion Council would deal with policy matters in collaboration with the district council. Each electorate would have one representative on the provincial council. Mr J. G. L. Vernon, who moved the resolution supporting the National' party, said that the keynote of the conference in Wellington was enthusiasm. Not once. was a defeatist note struckJ and a pleasing; feature was the large number of young men who were active in the party. Mr W. K. McAlpine seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously amid loud applause.