EX-SOLDIERS' VIEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 132, 1 December 1945, Page 9

EX-SOLDIERS' VIEWS

RULE BY REGULATION

How difficult it was for servicemen overseas to learn what was actually going on in New Zealand was stressed by a speaker at a returned servicemen's forum held by the Hutt National Party this week. The speaker said that while he had been overseas a friend had posted him a Wellington newspaper regularly each week for three months, but none had reached him. It had been a common occurrence for letters containing matters of political interest to be so mutilated on their arrival thii they were almost unreadable, 'me speaker said that although he was overseas at the time the ballot papers had been burnt, he had not heard anything about it until he returned to New Zealand.

Another serviceman said that the Labour Government was increasing its powers by Orders in Council and Ministerial edicts, hundreds of which were passed annually. He stated that a complete change in the Dominion's economic set-up had been brought about by the introduction of an Order in Council passed in 1938 restricting imports. The regulations had been challenged in Auckland, and instead of discussing the question in Parliament another Order in Council had been passed making the regulations legal. This, he said, was no more democratic than the introduction later of- farreaching policy changes by regulation and not by Act of Parliament.

One speaker said that eight points in the National Party's manifesto of 1943, which had not been included in the Labour Party's policy, had since been introduced by the Government. They were paid holidays, revision of the liquor laws, the appointment of a Minister of Rehabilitation, giving rehabilitation committees the power to grant loans, raising the school age, revision of Civil Service salaries, me introduction of 20 per cent, depreciation on plant and buildings, and gratuities.