COMING ELECTION

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 152, 24 March 1938, Page 12

COMING ELECTION

Change Of Government Predicted OPPOSITION LEADER Address To Large Audience At Masterton dominion Special Service. . Mastertoll, March 23. upward of 1000 people packed the opera House to-night to hear addresses by the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Adttiu Hamilton, and Mr. S. G. Holland, M.P. Although there were some interjections, they were drowned by the applause which greeted many of the speakers' utterances. Unusual enthusiasm was displayed when a vote of thanks was proposed. The mayor, Mr. T. Jordan, who presided. said it was his privilege and pleasure to welcome officially two strangers to Masterton. As the audience knew, Mr. Hamilton was the Leader of His Majesty's Opposition, and Mr. Holland was one of his trusty lieutenants. The Leader of the Opposition had behind him a long career of public service to New Zealand, and his colleague had a family record as well as a record of his own of public duty. . Mr. Jordan referred to the responsibility of the Opposition, and said the people looked to it to see that the job was discharged faithfully and well. "We appreciate fair play,” he added. "We appreciate a fair light even though it is a political fight, and I have told the speakers that we will listen to their views.” After thanking the mayor for his welcome, Mr. Hamilton said he appreciated sincerely what had been said of the responsibility of the Opposition, and it was not only the Opposition and the Government that had a responsibility; it was the electors as well, for in the "showdown” politics came back on them. He had been round New Zealand a little of late, and he was very pleased with the interest that had been taken. Interpreting Public Opinion. Mr. Hamilton said tnat the Opposition had played the game reasonably well by the Government, which was evident from the remarks of the Prime Minister when the session ended last week, and the fight that was going on was a political issue and there was nothing personal about it. He believed the members of the Government were "good chaps,” and he thought they held the same opinion of the Opposition. The whole point was that the Government was pursuing the wrong course. The electors liked changes—it was part of human nature —and a radical change had been made at the last election. He was convinced, however, that there would be just as radical a change at the next election. The National Party stood for sound progress. He believed that the country had been built up on those lines until it had to-day perhaps the most advanced social legislation in the world. The present Government, However, was setting out on a course disturbing to the people and was out io establish State supremacy, which was distinct from private endeavour • and effort of the individual. A Proper Balance. Mr. Hamilton said that the National Party's aim was to remove evils in society where they existed and. while it was wise to help the weak, they should encourage the strong and see that a proper balance was kept. He would be surprised if the people had not felt the effects of legislation in the past two years and if they had already not noticed it through their pockets the time was not far away when they would. The appropriation Bills had gone up by £23,000,000 in the two years. He could not imagine anyone not taking a serious view of politics in face of that. The National Party stood for close co-operation with Great Britain in all trade relations. New Zealand had no better friend, for Britain had always stuck to it and was its best customer to-day. Labour delegations had gone round the world and after a 10 months' tour by the Minister of Finance, Hon. W. Nash, only two results had been accomplished. One was that freight rates to Britain had gone up by 21 per cent., which cost New Zealand an extra £lOO,OOO, and the second was that an agreement had been made with Germany in which there was a condition that the Dominion had first of all to purchase German goods before the scheme started. Concerning taxation, Mr. Hamilton said it was not a good thing for the State to collect too much money, and remarked that if the present Government left the finances of the country in as good a position as they were in when it assumed the Treasury benches and provided the prospect of revenue was good, the National Party would reduce unemployment taxation by a few millions. "That’s what I say, and that is what the present Government should have done.” he said. Taxation to-day was £10,000,000 more than it was 10 years ago, and if the taxpayers did not put up a light to see that their interests were safeguarded they deserved what was coming to them. The Government’s policy, he said, was to tax and spend until the capitalist system broke down. Smashing the Present System. Mr. Holland, who was subjected to a fair amount of heckling from "a small section of the audience, spoke of the value of New Zealand exports, which was the reason of the prosperity now being enjoyed, and quoted speeches by Ministers which he claimed showed that they made no secret of their intention to smash the present system. Dairy farmers were being regimented under the system of Socialism, and today every one of them was virtually an employee of the State. The same thing applied to transport workers. ‘•The details of that transaction are one of the greatest public scandals New Zealand has ever known,” said Mr. Holland, when referring to the purchase of the business of Picot Bros., and he added that the public owed n debt of gratitude to the Opposition for ferreting out the unsavoury particulars.

In thanking the audience for the hearing it had given him, Air. Holland said that most of the crowds they had addressed were courteous, but there had been instances of organised disturbances.

A voice: You can’t take it. Another voice: Why did you ask for police protection?

Mr. Holland: I wouldn’t speak too much about the police if I were you—they might spot you.

The speakers answered a number of questions at the conclusion of their addresses.