"A NEW HOPE"

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 73, 23 September 1943, Page 9

"A NEW HOPE"

NATIONALIST POLICY

ADDRESS BY LEADER

The leader of the National Party (Mr. S. G. Holland) was given an en| thusiastic reception when he addressed, a, Wellington audience last night foi? the first and only time during the pre-j sent electidn campaign. The meeting was held in the Opera House and prac-; tically. every, seat was occupied. Mrj Holland, who spoke for two hours} mainly on his party's policy, had few serious interjections to deal with; and his address was frequently punctuated with applause. Both before and afteij his speech .he was cheered and accord' ed musical honours. ; The Mayor (Mr. Hislop) presided; and other National Party candidate? on the platform were Messrs. C. M, Bowderi, L. T. Jacobsen, E. R. Toop', N. Croft, and Te R. W. Pomare. , ! It was no exaggeration to. say that throughout the length and breadth of New Zealand there was an interest in political matters such as had not been experienced for very many years, said Mr.! Holland. There was a growing consciousness in the minds of \ the people that the Government could and did exert a profound influence on their | everyday affairs, and they were aware, too, that unless they bestirred themselves their remaining liberties would be lost. : . • : i He had received thousands of letter? expressing warm approval- of the National Party's: policy, "I think it is right to' say that that policy has brought to many people «v New Zealand a new hope and a.fresh faith, something, worth struggling and fighting for," said Mr. Holland, In his opening speech he had endeavoured to set a standard for the conduct of the campaign, and he? had since refused to deviate one fraction from-that course, He thought that nothing had impressed the electors more than .. the way in which the National Party T candidates had conducted themselves. It had been said of himeelf, among other x state: ments without foundation of fact, that he was a most implacable enemy of the working class, and was always likely to be one. ; .. . A voice; You always have been. . •• j "My answer to that's my record/ 1 retorted Mr. Holland. "I am proud to be able to say that,my life is an,open book, I may have missed a lot ot lun, but you can open the book at any. page and I shall not blush." FREEDOM OF VOTING. When he was promoted to the leadership of the Opposition he gave every member of his team absolute and complete freedom to vote, according to his conscience on any. issue. ; That freedom had been used and enjoyed and it would continue to operate. I cannot understand any man being willing to lose his self-respect by. voting for a thing he knows to be wrong, safd Mr, Holland. Yet -Jh» Prime Minister had declared that voting .according to conscience, was all humbug, and that in that way the Government might even be defeated. „ %c will not allow any law or .union to stand in the way ;o/ our returned servicemen getting a job" Mr.-Holland declared, in an outline of the National Party's rehabilitation plans. . There was no greater problem than the creation of worthwhile •"employment for those men,' and the National; Party said that there was the same responsibility to train them for civil life aa there had been to train them for war. Dealing with housing, he emphasised that the National Party proposed to make houses for the people priority No. 1. '' In that way the country's greatest asset, the family, would be safeguarded. "One of the things we want to do is to make everyone in New' Zealan- a little capitalist, with everyone having a little stake in toe country," said Mr. Holland. . - ■ ! On scores of occasions he had 'saw that the National, Party, would. not reduce social security. A voice: That is only,a promise. Mr. Holland: That is all right. My promise is as good as my word, and my word is my bond. ■.. . Nothing could be more untrue than the assertion made on behalf of the Labour Party that a vote cast for the National Party was "a\ vote' against social security. .'- ; MAN-POWER "MUDDLE," ■'- Mr. Holland criticised the "chaos and' muddle ot man-power" - under the' Labour Government, and declared that nothing called out more urgently for overhaul than the present man-power position. •■'•''■■/■ One of the National Party's main objectives'was the improvement of industrial relations. There was no.room for class distinctions in a country, like New Zealand. Dividends ;in human hiappiness should come first; dividends In cash would follow. "What manner of man do you think I would have been if I had stayed there and sold my principles?" asked Mr. Holland of an interjector who referred to his-resignation from the War Cabinet. "My principles are not for sale at any'pnee. I was not prepared to accept the rank and the money and whatever glory there was in the job under those circumstances,, so I retained my self-respect and resigned. I would 'do the same again if necessary." Next Saturday the people of New Zealand would be given the right to select'a new Government. (Some dissent.) No one could foretell the re-, suit, but he could say that a wave of enthusiasm for the National Party had been sweeping-through the country. He believed that a great many people had been looking-for years for a party that.could oflEer a worth-while, for-ward-looking policy and that had as its first consideration the best inter-1 ests of the people. Wherever he had gone he had received the greatest encouragement and thousands of honest, hard-working, earnest people had shown that they -wanted to see a new Government in office. ' "If we become 4he Government I can, in the name of the party and our great movement, promise you honest government, and I believe that to implement our nolicy will mean prosperity for all who do their share," Mr. Holland concluded. "It will mean security for all who are unable to do their snare. The only objective we have is the'welfare of the jpeople as a whole. If we become the Government we will not govern for a class but for all sections of the community." A vote of thanks, moved by Mr. Pomare and seconded by Mr. Toop, was carried with enthusiasm, there being no audible dissent.

"I'm not blaming the previous Gdvernment for the depression," said the Minister of Finance (Mr. ,Nash) at Waiwhetu last night. He said it was the competitive system of supply and demand that caused the depression. The National Party Government then in charge were not the originators of the depression, but they went the wrong way about trying to stop its ill effects. Instead of trying #to keep the economy of the country on a decent level in spite of overseas prices, they started to cut and curtail, and every cut and every curtailment automatically made things. worse. "Now they say that if they get the chance again —I hope to God they never will —they will not do it aafcin. I don't think you should give them the chance, anyhow."