NATIONAL PARTY POLICY

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 308, 23 September 1943, Page 8

NATIONAL PARTY POLICY

Enthusiastic Reception For Leader

OVERHAUL OF MANPOWER

RESOURCES

An enthusiastic reception was accorded the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. G. Holland, when he explained the policy of the National Party last night to an audience which filled the Wellington Opera House, including the dress circle and Ihe upper gallery. His remarks drew frequent and prolonged applause. At the end of his speech, which lasted two hours, streamers were thrown from all parts of the hall, and after the meeting many members of the audience crowded around to congratulate Mr. Holland ou his address and to wish him success on Saturday. Seiiks on the platform were occupied by Fhe National Party candidate for Wellington electorates, Hutt and Western Maori.

The mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, who is the National Party candidate for AVellington North, presided. “I have never had a prouder niomcnt in my life than I have experienced tonight, standing here as the chairman for that great New Zealander. Syd Holland.” said Mr. Hislop. "His opening speech of the campaign was the most inspiring speech made for a generation, and it gave hope to those who cherish those things on which this country has been built—freedom, liberty and enterprise.” Air.’ Holland, who was greeted with cheering and the singing of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” expressed bis gratitude at the opportunity to meet a AVellington audience and to discuss with them some of the questions exercising the minds of thinking people in New Zealand today. He was glad to have with him on the platform some of the National Party candidates. Today there was an awakening of political interest and that was a healthy sign. Three weeks ago it was his privilege to expound the policy of the National Party and from every corner of New Zealand he had received communications expressing widespread approval of that policy, which had brought new hope, new faith and a new outlook to the citizens of the Dominion. Alternative to Labour.

The National Party, said Mr. Holland, was the • only logical alternative to the Labour Party. He believed the people today wanted something constructive. In his opening speech he had endeavoured to set a standard for the campaign, and he thought nothing had impressed the people more than the way the National Party was conducting its campaign. He knew it was said be was the most implacable enemy the working people of this country had ever known. His own record was his reply to that. His life was an open book.

As the campaign developed, the difference in policies and philosophies of the National Party and the Labour Party stood out in bolder relief. In his opinion no provision had a right to reach the Statute Book unless it had the support of members of Parliament and that was the fundamental basis of Parliamentary Government under the democratic system. When he was appointed Leader of the Opposition the first thing he did was to give members of the National Party in Parliament absolute freedom. Every member of the National Party had complete freedom to vote as he wished on every question, but the Prime Minister demanded that every member ot his party must vote even against the dictates of his own convictions if the caucus decided so. That was the difference between the two parties. Mr. Holland said that not only was a man entitled to work but the Government must undertake the responsibility of organizing work in co-operation with private enterprise so that jobs would be available when thej- were needed. It seemed as if New Zealand was ill-valued industrially. and the National Party would set about to correct that state of affairs. There were too many" unskilled workers. Successive Ministers of Housing had said thd bottleneck of housing was skilled men. At the very time the Government was bringing skilled tradesmen from Australia. Scotland and England there were 20,300 men on public works and 10,300 men on Scheme 13. Good men through no fault of their own were digging weeds. Under the labour laws there was too little incentive for a person leaving school to enter an apprenticeship and learn a trade because the pay of the unskilled man was so close to that of the skilled man. The National Party would correct that. Housing Problem.

No appreciable impression had been made on the housing problem. The National Party would establish widespread schemes of vocational training whereby men coming back from the war could be trained in the arts and crafts of their choice. Between 8000 and 10,000 men would be trained as house builders and he was assured that for every man trained it would be possible to build one house a year. The right of private people to build houses for themselves would be restored. The National Party would co-operate with building societies and encourage them to lift their advances to the new Government level of 90 per cent, and guarantee them for the amount advanced between 75 per cent. and the 90 per cent. "We propose to make house building priority No. 1,” said Mr. Holland. “We are not going to build any more radio palaces and Internal Marketing Department buildings until more bouses for people to live in have been built.” Mr. Holland said that one of the things (lie National Party wanted to do was to make everyone in New Zealand a little capitalist with a stake iu the country. The National Party would not interfere with social security. A. voice: That is only a promise. Mr. Holland: My promise is as good as my word, and my word is my bond. The statement had been made over the signature of the Prime Minister, said Mr. Holland, that a vote cast, for the National Party candidate in Wellington Central was a vote against social security. There had never been, added Mr. Holland, a more untrue statement. The National Party believed in the might of people to enjoy the freehold of their own homes. (Applause). Manpower Situation. Discussing manpower Mr. Holland said there was no other matter iu such a stale of chaos and muddle. It was physically impossible for New Zealand with a population of less than .1,750.(4)0 to maintain two combat divisions, the equivalent of two more divisions in the Air Force, and a fifth division on Home defence, ail at the same time, aud also carry out its commitments to the .Motherland in supplying the production from, farms aud factories. A garrison division in the Pacific had been converted into a combat division without the knowledge of Parliament. Forty thousand A Grade men had never been to the war. These men were made of the same stuff as the early echelons but they had been held back because of appeals by their employers or by the Government to do essential work. "It is wrong to send any man to the war tjyice before every other man has gone once," said Mr. Holland. “On becoming the Government the National Party'will make a compelte ami thorough overhaul of our manpower resources and commitments. That will be one of the first things we will do. Au overhaul of war expenditure is also overdue, and will be undertaken by the National Party. ’ Mr. Holland said he believed there was great scope for industrial expansion ill New Zealand, but there would bi- no real progress while there was a gulf between employers on the one baud and the workers on the other. lie subscribed to and believed in the new Christian order, but if they wanted a higher standard of morals iu this country they mid to practice it among themselves. He believed that there was something more than cash dividends, and that there was growing up a new class of employer who placed more emphasis on human good will and human happiness. Ninety-live per cent, of the workers were honest, decent men, and the other few per cent, were trouble-makers whose main object was to destroy the success of other people. The. National Party would establish an Industrial Harmony Bureau representative of workers and employers and someone iu between. The National Party would give to all workers the fundamental right to decide by secret, ballot whether they should have compulsory or voluntary unionism. It .would also make it unlawful for any union to make

a levy on its members for party political purposes. In this country there had grown up a system of State eouti'ol that the National Party was opposed to. There had grown up an intolerable system of bureaucratic control which the National Party was determined to break. Long before the war the Government had taken control of export commodities, and the next step was to take control of the overseas funds. Today mothers of boys fighting overseas had to go cap in hand to the Government for permission to send some money to their boys. The National Party would allow these mothers to send what money they wished to their sons.

“On Saturday the people are going to be given their right, under our democratic system and no one can say what the result will be.” said Air. Holland. "I can say. however, that there has swept through New Zealand a wave of enthusiasm for the National Party such as it has never experienced before. . . . I can promise you that: the moment we become the Government we will implement our policy, which we believe will bring prosperity for all who do their share, and security for those who are unable to do their share.” A vote of thanks to Air. Holland for his inspiring and statesmanlike address was moved by Air. Te Rakahera AA'. Poinare, National candidate for Western Maori, and seconded by Air. E. R. Toop, National candidate for AVellington South. This was carried with loud acclamation.