NATIONAL POLICY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 73, 23 September 1938, Page 11

NATIONAL POLICY

SALIENT FEATURES

NO WAGE CUTS

TAXATION RELIEF FOR WOMEN

3 H> I t-u-^iaph—Press Association.* 3 CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. i The salient points of the policy which c will be stresesd by the Leader of the t National Party (the Hon. A. Hamilton) in his broadcast address tonight will be as follows: 1 Waga-cutting has no place in the 7 plans of the National Party. The party 1 realises that the pay envelope is the most important event in the lives of j the great majoriy of people. We are 1 just as keen as anyone else to main- • tain and improve the standards of livJ ing. j The party does not stand for any cutting down of pensions. Women are not given a fair deal in ; the taxation proposals of the Labour ; Party. The National Party will see | that they are given relief. \ The encouragement of marriage is, ; in the National Party's opinion, one of the most important questions the b nation has to face. There will be a generous health ser- , vice for those who cannot pay hospital and medical fees. Because intensive farming offers one ■ of the best avenues of providing New j Zealanders with suitable homes and permanent occupations, a vigorous I land settlement programme will be operated. Finance will be made available to young men taking up farming. Homes will also be provided for rural workers in suitable localities and attention will be given to the provision of all-weather roads, rural mails, telephone services, and electricity in backblock areas. EDUCATION AND TRANSPORT. The party will work for the maintenance of the education system. Sectioanl prejudices will be torn out root and branch and replaced in schools with an outook for the common good and national welfare. Private investment will be encouraged, and there will be full co-opera-tion with private enterprise. Revolu-1 tionary Socialism must be checked. Freedom will be established for all the operators in the transport industry. This applies to road, rail, air, and sea. The party is definitely opposed to monopolistic control of any section of the country's trade and industry. The rights* of the small trader and the small farmer will be safeguarded. The present Government's policy of free spending will be checked. The National Party stands for private ownership of houses as a basis • of national life. Tenants of State ; houses will be given the right of pur- • chase. Allowances of up to 90 per i cent, will be available to home build-, < ers. Building societies will be en- ] couraged to provide capital to young 1 home seekers. ] DEFENCE POLICY. ; The defence system of the country will be reviewed in the light of the new strategical situation that has arisen throughout the world. The defence policy should be based on the assumption that in the last resort I New Zealand might have to defend i herself until assistance arrived from overseas. Farmers will regain owner- ' ship of produce. The dairy industry will be con- 7 suited on finance and marketing. The party will offer the industry stability i through the provision of a guaranteed < minimum price, and if it desires it 1 will co-operate with it in marketing. ( Taxation will be reduced. A start will be made by cutting down or ( abolishing the unemployment tax on j women with an income limit of £250, j reducing the gold duty, petrol tax, < and radio licence fees. | The party will not put the Social Security Act into operation. Exist- j ing pensions will be maintained. A free maternity service will be provided, along with pensions for widows without children, and pensions for orphans. The special wages tax of Is in the £ will not be charged, but i the existing tax of 8d will be con- c ; tinued. 3