THE NATIONAL PARTY

Evening Star, Issue 23292, 14 June 1939, Page 2

THE NATIONAL PARTY

FOR PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY WELL WORTH DEFENDING ADDRESS BY HON. A. HAMILTON “ All over New Zealand 1 have been asked to define what the New Zealand National Party stands for,” the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Adam Hamilton) told a meeting of about, 100 young electors in the Somerset Lounge yesterday. “ I will tell you what we stand for. Jn the first place, it is necessary to understand the challenge of to-day. Democracy is the inheritance ;of all of us. and it is worth defending and studying in a world of dictatorships and falling democracies. It is based (1) on the Crown,, the symbol. of national unity; (2). on Parliament, the origin of; civil liberties and. public policy; (3) on the courts of law, preserving the freedom' ofrthe individual: and - (4) on Christian religion, 'providing ,witn complete tolerance'the moral basis of national life.” EXPLOITING DEMOCRACY. Tho Sp. principles and institutions shat protected them .. were ..superior ;to the raortiality of man. ■ Each, generation had to, play its part in defending them and in adapting them, to the needs of the day; but it was necessary to believe in natural growth. Here, Mr Hamilton said, it was opportune to mention the place of the King, above party and above politics, removed from bitterness of rancour and private ambition—in short, the centre of unity. • “.With all our joking about our So-called liberty,” he continued, “ it stands out in this age of concentration camps, political arrests, dictatorial government, and race and class victimisation. You must remember that the origin of that (liberty was, and is, Parliament. Tb* principles of our institutions must be preserved. The threat to them to-day is a real one. The danger in a democracy lies in exploiting it for a class or a party.” i I Mr ( Hamilton > laid emphasis on the value'of good citizenship through work and service : ; “ They say that is not a popular doctrine to-day,” he said, “but 1,-am still not afraid to preach it or to pin the National colours to it.” Social services did not remove the roots of poverty, sickness, and unemployment, he said, and that , should be the real aim. It was true - that the point of taxable capacity was reached long before a satisfactory minimum standard of comfort and security could be guaranteed by that method alone. Neither would regulation and compulsory organisation produce economic prosperity. Private enterprise, properly organised and co-ordinated, was the surest way to industrial progress. It was the best way of mobilising incentive, skill, and energy. “ A change of possession will not do that,” Mr Hamilton said. “As in Socialism, the vested interest of officialdom is more to be feared- than the vested interest of individuals, which is the bogy set" up for you to sneer an to-day. Individual incentive is the root of social and . economic. progress, - and private property is tho_ base essentially of either social' security, or independence. / • 1 ■ ‘ PROBLEMS OF D A y.\ “Just as unemployment is stillipur greatest problem, so it'is true,” Mr Hamilton said, “ that efforts’to meet it must be away from pensions, doles, or relief. : Carried to its absurd conclusion, you have .relief competing with and- even outbidding: production;' A study , of the! Dominion shmrt’thati, like Great Britain, it (is : on exports. ’-vEcpifoimc .nationalisnLlwouUl be disastrous; Nationalism canilot do anything: but depress the standard,of living.- It involves lack of efficiency and enterprise, , just as State interference in business does. .The object ortgood government 'should be to -create and protect circumstances in which. private enterprise can; operate- successfully,’’ It was along these lines thai the problems of the day should;beitaokled, he said. There, 1 , again, was. the challenge to young, people. This was a national faith, and it was the faith of_ the National Party—to maintain tradition and yet learn from experience.. . .A c ! ass party could have only fleeting power. Patriotism was not jingoism, but the recognition of the privileges the.people enjoyed and payment for them in service to the community. .That might mean sacrifices and did mean effort and energy; but the alternative, was just a future of regrets for a squandered inheritance. Along the hard road lay hope and happiness. “I am not afraid do say that,” Mr Hamilton concluded. “We want to take the long view. There pro,no shore outs to Paradise, and good citizenship requires discipline, steadfastness, vigilance, and hard work,. Without these, you are not entitled to privilege or opportunity. Have the courage of your convictions, and 1 am sure that through the National Party you can find the opportunity and the encouragement to defend these principles. Ours is not a philosophy of reaction. It is.:,based on principles which must support the reply that you young people, on behalf of democracy, must make to .the challenges ’of to-day.” •