IN FIGHTING FORM

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 190, 10 May 1938, Page 10

IN FIGHTING FORM

Mr. Hamilton’s Challenges To Prime Minister ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING (By Commentator.) The reception accorded the Leader of the Opposition last night proved one of his contentions —'that there is an uncommonly keen interest being taken in polities at the present time. _ Mr Hamilton must have been well satisfied with the reception. He was given an ■ovation when he rose and again when he resumed his seat, and his speech was punctuated with outbursts of party enthusiasm. The opposition was represented at the back of tlie audience, and made up what it lacked in numbers in vociferousness. Mr. Hamilton, who is one of the most effective debaters in the House of Representatives, was seen at his best in his reply to the recent speech of tlie Prime Minister. Each point was hammered home with a deliberateness which made it doubly effective. That his points struck was seen in the response they drew from the back of the hall. Mr. Hamilton for the most part ignored the interjectors, but when he chose to reply to them he did so effectively and disarmingly. "The electors themselves are the bosses of the members of Parliament,” Mr, Hamilton said. "It is their voices which govern this country. The electors like changes. They made a drastic change last time and I am quite sure they are going to make a drastic change next time.” Applause from the body of the hall, with cries of “Never” from the ba'ck, greeted this statement. Later the speaker expressed his view another way: “The turn of the tide is abundantly evident.” The fights in tlie past in New Zealand were sham fights compared with the light now on, he added. His Political Faith. Mr. Hamilton declared his political faith when he said: “We believe in the British form of democracy.” He invited his hearers in a homely way to reason together with him to see what the position was. outlined the position when Labour - came into office and dealt with some of the points raised by Mr. Savage. Mr. Hamilton is not often seen so strongly on the attack as he was lastnight. Never before, he said, had such a boastful attitude been adopted by aiij Prime Minister. He assailed the “ex- ■ perimental recklessness” of the Government,' challenged the accuracy of the Prime Minister’s statement that the national debt would be less than it was at the beginning of the year, accused him of “juggling with the public accounts” to establish that, threw the spotlight on the Government’s "uh fulfilled promises” to remove the exchange rate and the sales tax, and challenged the unemployed figures for 1936 quoted by Mr. Savage. On the question of Post Office Savings Bank deposits during his term as Postmaster-General, Mr. Hamilton accused Mr. Savage of “grossly misrepresenting his opponents and misleading his hearers.” So far from there being a decrease in the number of Post Office Savings Bank accounts in that time, as stated by the Prime Minister, Mr. Hamilton said the number did not drop at all. Mr. Savage had stated something less than half a truth. This was seized on by the audience, which chanted “Now’ then!’’ Grasp of Political'Theory. Coming to the fundamental differences between the Labour Government and the National Party, the Leader of the Opposition showed that, unlike many politicians, he has a thorough grasp of political theory. He outlined the differences by making a series of striking contrasts. He characterised Mr. Savage’s speech as a typical example of Labour’s appeal to mass psychology. As against that the National Party, he said, emphasised individuality. The superannuation proposals were described as a typical example of the Government’s plan to discourage private thrift. Its policy was one of tax, borrow and spend. “They stand for State supremacy; we emphasise individual freedom,” Mr. Hamilton declared. “The State should be the servant of the people, not their master.”

The evening’s biggest demonstration followed the speaker’s declaration that under a National Government “compulsory unionism is going to go.” The main body of the audience broke into sustained applause, and simultaneously attempts w T ere made at the back of the hail to count Mr. Hamilton out. This was repeated shortly after when he declared that “compulsory unionism would be wiped off the Statute Book.” A full report of Mr. Hamilton’s speech will be found on page 12.