NEW ZEALAND’S FREEDOM

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 December 1940, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND’S FREEDOM

MR. HOLLAND’S ADDRESS

RESTRICTIONS MUST GO

[per press association.]

WELLINGTON, December 17. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Holland) told a large and representative gathering of Wellington, business men, at morning tea, to-day, that the National Party stood, for the removal of harmful restrictions. “We want to restore the freedom that is the birthright of every New Zealander. We want to restore fair play. We stand for the great mass of the community, who should have the right to live their own lives in their own way.” Welcoming Mr. Holland, Mr. Mcllroy, Chairman of the Wellington Division of the National Party, said the straws' were showing the direction of the political wind, and they might have Mr. Holland leading the country sooner than they expected.

Mr. Holland said he was satisfied that more and more people wanted to see the country on an even political keel again. New Zealand was involved in two wars. Overseas, New Zealanders were fighting for the right of the Empire to exist, and at home they had to fight for the light of private enterprise to exist. As far as the war effort was concerned, there was nothing that the Opposition could do that it would not do, but they would be failing in their duty if they did not fight to protect New Zealand from the things that tended to destroy it from the inside. If they believed in private ownership of home, farm, factoiy 01 profession, they should be prepared to fight, for without a fight, they would lose those things. It was no exaggeration, to say that the Government was determined to socialise New Zealand even in war-time, and they appeared to regard the war as a heaven-sent opportunity for them to socialise the country, while it was fighting for its existence. There had never been more need for unity than at present, but every day they saw private enterprise destroyed bit by bit. Those who believed in private enterprise should unite to pievent that. They should not look on while doctors were socialised. If they allowed a tooth to be pulled out of a cog here, and out of another there, the efficiency of the machine would be destroyed. “People who have never made a success of anything are destroying the success of others,” said Mr. Holland. “The people of this country have the right to the full products of their labours, and the right to spend it in their own way. I have little tolerance for the extremists on either side. We must make sure that the worker has a fair go. We must realise that industry can only expend to the maximum when the worker is happy, because he is getting a fandeal.” J , The National Party wanted to give the workers freedom from the “trade union boss” dictatorship. The future of New Zealand was as bright, if not brighter, than it had ever been. The war had brought all classes together, and there was a growing realisation that the poorer classes in Britain were entitled to a better standard. If they were given a better standard after the war, they would have to receive more of what New Zealand could produce, and that would mean more prosperity for New Zealand, but what New Zealanders had to learn was the value of hard, honest work.