ADDRESS BY MR HOLYOAKE

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26512, 29 August 1951, Page 6

ADDRESS BY MR HOLYOAKE

■■'- 1 ■ ♦ Threat Of Communism Discussed

INTERJECTIONS BY SMALL SECTION

The Deputy-Prime Minister (Mr K. J. Holyoake) had persistent interjections from a small section of his audience in the St. James Theatre, Christchurch, last evening; but his speech was not interrupted at any stage and the crowd had a lot of enjoyment from exchanges. The meeting started with about 1100, which increased to about 1200, and then dwindled again as about 100 people were apparently between this and the meeting of Mr Nash. The theatre holds 1300. The speaker thanked the “huge crowd,” for attending. “You ought to see Mr Nash. He hrts filled two theatres. This one is half empty," an interjeclor said. “I can see we are going to have some discussion,’ replied Mr Holyoake, amid laughter. Mr Holyoake began by discussing the contest between Communism and freedom. “Hypocrisy," someone shouted.

Old boy, If you think that you should be In the Liberty Theatre tonight,” was the reply. The cost of living, subsidies, rationing, and statistics of expansion in many lines of consumption were then covered by Mr Holyoake. "New Zealand is enjoying the greatest prosperity this country has ever known,” he said. • “What are you moaning about? The wreckers must have done good work,” one man called.

"We have even had fewer divorces under National than under Labour,” Mr Holyoake said, winding up this part of his address. “Surely that is a good sign.” Mr Holland’s election announcements of more liberal benefits were followed by extravagant bidding from Mr Nash. “If he had had more than two hours to speak there is no limit to what he would have promised. I think Mr Nash is the most promising Leader of the Opposition we have ever had, Mr Holyoake continued. “He is so promising that we ought to leave him in that office.” Mr Holyoake added that personally he had his own teeth, and didn’t need spectacles: but he thought Mr Nash would appeal to a wider section of the community if he had promised free wigs for the bald. “We have carried out more promises in 12 months than the Labour Party did in 12 years,” he said. “I challenge anyone, friend or foe, to find three promises we have not carried out.” The Labour Party was making the last desperate throw of the gambler.

Waterfront Strike

“Like Mr Nash I am neither for nor against the watersiders nor any section of the community but I am for the law and against the law breakers,” Mr Holyoake said, during references to the waterfront dispute. There were many interjections at this stage ending with one that “The Government sent the Wahine on the rocks through lack of radar.**

“That’s nothing to the way we are going to sink the Labour Party on the first,” Mr Holyoake replied. Somebody had said that the public was prevented from hearing all sides of the dispute. The only publicity that was prohibited defied the law and would have prolonged the strike, he said. Mr Nash and his followers alleged that wives and children of watersiders had been starved. Those men could have returned to pie wharves at any time and there were 30,000 other jobs available. There were men who would bear the marks of bashing for life and women who would not forget their fear of threats which had been made, yet Mr Nash and the Labour party said emergency measures were not justified.

Mr Holyoake quoted a report that the old watersiders’ union was preparing to tackle the Government agaip. “They mean intellectually,” an interjector said. Circulars by Mr Ernest Bevin, the World Federation of Trade Unions, and minutes of the national strike committee were presented by Mr Holyoake who said they gave warning of the threat of Communism. 'Tm not saying the Labour Party ere Communists but the public would have more confidence if it would expel the fifth-column and Communist elements from its ranks.” he said.

“Give us your policy,” interjectors called. “That is our policy—to fight this nernicious cancer—and the basis is to tell the people and trust the people in everything,” Mr Holyoake said. Approbation of this policy was indicated in the reception of freezing part of the wool cheque. The growers simoly would not have trusted Mr Nash with such a proposal. The first policy point of the National Party in this election was to tell the people of the threat of Communism, tell them how it had been dealt with this year, and how the challenge would be met if it rose again, Mr Holyoake said. “The Labour Government has never at any time had the intestinal fortitude, the abdominal courage, to stand up against such wreckers.’’ A vote of thanks was carried.

GOODS FROM JAPAN

REPLY TO MR C. F. SKINNER “NOT A VESTIGE OF TRUTH IN STATEMENTS” There was not a “vestige of truth” irf the reported statement by the deputy-leader of the Opposition (Mr C. F. Skinner) that there was £6.000,00 worth of Japanese goods in New Zealand warehouses at present, said the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr J. T. Watts), speaking m his electorate (St. Albans) last evening.

The only licences for the import of goods from Japan issued by tne National Government were for raw materials such as steel, and cotton piece goods—not made-up dresses—which could not be bought from Britain or the United States, and which were necessary to keep the factories of New Zealand going. “There has been some talk that Japanese goods will come in in increased quantities after the signing of the peace treaty. That is not so; Japan will continue to be a ‘schedule’ country and only goods that cannot be obtained from other sources will be allowed in from Japan,’’ he said. Mr Skinner had also “quoted some story he had heard about hoods for hats.” said Mr Watts. According to Mr Skinner. 50,000 dozen hoods had been offered to New Zealand manufacturers at 3s 9d a dozen. “These were offered from Italy but no licence has been issued and none will be issued,” said Mr Watts.

“If the Labour Party’s policy of reversion to import control ever became a fact it would bring with it all the scandals associated under Labour in the previous Government. It was not what you knew but who you knew. Import licences were sold at big prices and the whole cost was passed on to the consumer in the prices. “The National Party set out to abolish this system and we have removed about 80 per cent, of licences for goods from soft currency areas. There were 20,000 vacant jobs when we office and to-day there are about 30 000. This shows there has been a great expansion of business in the last two years.’’