DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 309, 24 September 1943, Page 9

DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS

Mr. Toop’s Challenge

“I am not concerned with fighting an individual or an opponent; I am concerned only'with fighting policies, creeds and ideas which I think are definitely contrary to the good of the people,” said Mr. Toop (National, Wellington South), speaking at St. James's Hall, Adelaide Road, last night. The issue before the people today was freedom versus control, added the candidate. Socialism as. it was known in tTie past had something to recommend it because its principle was equality for everyone, but there was a great difference between that and the national Socialism of the Labour Party, which set out to control and regiment everyone and everything. The first thing the National Party would do would be to,restore freedom. That would lead to free competition, cooperation and unity. Free enterprise had given -New Zealanders the highest standard of living in the world, but the Labour Government's methods of control had resulted in nothing but;higher costs and higher taxation. Dealing with finance. Mr. Toop said that the big problem in the post-war world, would be the relation of production to money and savings. There would be no devaluation providing that the country had a watertight plan for gearing production to the best advantage. Useless Government departments had to be wiped out and private enterprise reestablished under a system which would safeguard everyone. One of the first things to be done would be a- complete overhaul of the Industrial Act. As it was. even soldiers returning from this war bad to get licences before they started an industry. - e