FREE MARKETING OPPOSED

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25226, 3 July 1947, Page 8

FREE MARKETING OPPOSED

MR NASH CRITICISES CAPITALISM REPLY TO MR HOLLAND (P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 2. He was certain that capitalism as a system had failed, and was failing again, said the Minister of Finance 'Mr W. Nash) in the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives this evening. •“I know something about circumstances existing between the countries at the present time, and I am certain that if the free market road is followed it will inevitably lead us back to the troubles we experienced in the years 1929-35,” he added. Mr Nash said the- Government’s belief was that there was an alternative—the road of co-operation instead of acquisitiveness. Mr Nash said the shortage in the railways account, to which the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) had referred, would not have occurred had wages not been increased by more than £2.000.000 in the last two years. Would Mr Holland increase fares or freights, or cut wages? Mr Nash s?id he was astounded at the charge that the Prime Minister had frightened the people. It was Mr Holland who was frightened on the eve of the election. Mr Nash flourished a National Party election Doster which he claimed was based solely on fear. - Government’s War Record Mr Holland had criticised the Government as one lacking “guts.” Mr Nash said he knew of no Government which m the Jong, weary war years had faced difficult situations with m °re c° ura £ e - zeal, and determination. Mr Nash claimed that New Zealand had a better record in time lost in industries than other countries. New Zealand’s loss of man days for each worker in industry averaged 1.7. The Minister of Labour (Mr A. MeLagan): Last year it was only half that.

Mr Nash said this figure compared with 4.5 in Britain, 6 in Australia, 10.5 in the United States, and iu.l m Canada. There was no English-speak-ing country with a record to compare with New Zealand’s, but if they could reduce strikes still further no one would be happier than he. Mr Nash said it was a libel on British people to say they were actually starving or short of nutritional food. The parcels sent from New Zealand and elsewhere were godsends for the variety they gave the recipients. There nothing which could be done to help Britain which the Government would not do. It was the Leader of the Opposition who. when the Government decided on a gift of £12,500.000 to Britain, had criticised and claimed that Parliament should have been consulted. The essence of the gift, said Mr Na c h. was that it should be made at a crucial time without delay. The gifts of New Zealand and Australia were made in the hope that others might follow suit.