NATIONAL PARTY

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 March 1939, Page 5

NATIONAL PARTY

AUt HAMILTON'S TOUR. [PEB PBESB ASSOCIATION. J WELLINGTON, March to. "The National Parly, from (he rank and tile of its members to the Parliamentary section which represents it in the House of Representatives, is more determined than ever to carry on the light against the Labour Government that is steadily smashing the democratic structure of New Zealand.” said Mr Hamilton, Leader of the National Party, when he was interviewed on his return to Wellington to-day, after the completion of the Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu and Wairarapa sections of his North Island tour. “There has never been a more united and loyal band in politics than that represented by the party to-day. We have increased our strength by onethird in Parliament and our people everywhere are as disinclined to ‘throw in the towel’ as I am myself." Mr Hamilton continued. I have not been on tour complaining about the result of the election. Under our democratic system we accept that and just as cheerfully accept the responsible task ahead —the bringing of the majority of the people to base their decisions on reason rather than on false sentiment."

Mr Hamilton said during the last two and a-half weeks he had been inspired by the work being done by National Party workers and supporters. He had devoted the biggest part of the tour to discussions with members of the great network of committees now working, and in every case he had found that enthusiasm and interest had increased since the election. The organisation had been strengthened considerably already, and membership figures had appreciated.

“This was only in the nature of a preliminary tour in order to meet 1000 more of my people, but with meetings confined to actual committee members only most of the halls that were engaged could not seat those who attended, Mr Hamilton added. “In the small town of Inglewood in Taranaki. 550 members of committees attended an afternoon meeting last week. We had to change from one hall to another in Hawera because of the number who turned up, many travelling from as far south as Westmere to be present. New Plymouth gave me two of my best meetings, and at Wanganui the hall overflowed, too. “That was last week, but it has been the same story this week. I was in Napier. Hastings, 'Waipawa, Waipukurau. Dannevirke, Masterton, and Palmerston North for fixed engagements, and the spontaneous enthusiasm among our people was a true indic.atha.t we have been strengthened by defeat.

TO REGAIN FREEDOM. “The resolve to fight and win is greater than ever. We are resolved to regain our democratic freedom and establish New Zealand’s good name and credit in the eyes of the world. I found people everywhere sick and tired of Labour’s policy of evasion ajtd confusion,” continued Mr Hamilton. “Mr Savage and his colleagues have nothing better to offer than to repeat, parrot-fashion, the ridiculously false comparison of the last few years of prosperity with those existing during the depression, but the time has come when that falseness is being realised by the majority of the people. “It has been forced home harshly enough by developments since the election in the Dominion that the Labour Government materially assisted its return to the Treasury benches by misrepresentation,” Mi’ Hamilton continued. “It is the joke of the season that the Government that has recently taken actions which reveal that it hid the true position from the people, even deliberately denied the true position when it was placed before the people bv my colleagues and myself, should talk of the misrepresentations of its opponents. “Mr Savage leads a party which detests saving and people who save a party which in a political sense has achieved passing popularity with the spending of inherited reserves. I will continue to carry on a campaign for progressive, but sound, government in face of it. No threats or intimidation will have any effect on me or on my colleagues in Parliament, on the innumerable committees of our oiganisation scattered throughout every electorate in New Zealand,, or on the rank and file of the National Party..” Mr Hamilton will return to Invercargill to-night, and will return to continue his North Island tour 10 days later.