WARNING NOTE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 154, 1 July 1936, Page 11

WARNING NOTE.

government policy. APPEAL MADE BY MR. FORBES. FORMING PUBLIC OPINION. Upwards of 200' National party supporters listened to an address by the Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, at the party headquarters in Queen's Arcade last evening. A warning that the time had come when responsible citizens must get together and see that the interests of the country w ere not injured in any way was the theme of Mr. Forbes' address. I am not going to conduct an inquest on the actions of the past Government," said Mr. Forbes, "but what we did, we' did for a definite purpose and not with any tear of losing popularity. One of the duties of the Prime Minister is to do hie duty to the country, whether pleasant or unpleasant, and that is what I tried to do. As far as the record of tho past Government is concerned, we had to face one of the greatest depressions this country has ever known, and we have nothing to be ashamed of. I knew that we were doing unpopular tilings, but did we have the right not to face the consequences ?" Detailed criticism of the Government, along the lines of the remarks made by h'm in an interview published in the "Star" last evening, was next made by Mr. Forbes. It had come as a great surprise, he said, for the people of the country to find that the Labour policy was based upon theory. When people gambled with the interests and the welfare of the people of the countrv, they took tremendous risks. There had been a torrent of drastic legislation passed through the House, but already weaknesses were being revealed. Mr. Forbes referred to the "enormous power" the Government had in the control of the finances of the countryenormous power for individuals who had never had one day's responsibility in the running of the affairs of the country. The Government was determined to have free and unfettered power with regard to the finances of the country.

The Mortgage Corporation, transport, guaranteed prices, and the Arbitration Amendment Act were dealt with in turn by the Leader of the Opposition. He appealed to his audience to playi their part in forming public opinion. The only .way that the brakes could be put on the Government at all ~was by the formation of public opinion. The whole of the interests and the reputation of the country was at stake, and it was a country well worth fighting for. "As Prime Minister I did not feel that I had a friend left in the country," concluded Mr. Forbes, "but now in Opposition I feel that I have regained a great many." To the accompaniment of hearty cheers, a vote of thanks was carried to the speaker.