The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, February 11th, 1938. A NATIONAL PARTY SPOKESMAN.

Grey River Argus, 11 February 1938, Page 6

The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, February 11th, 1938. A NATIONAL PARTY SPOKESMAN.

Man has been defined as a. r “political animal,” and, at any rate, -no human relationship is ’> more fundamental than that which is political. In expression, moreover, this relaaionship is traditionally polemical — except under a dictatorship, where a single Party sets limits outside ' which none may venture. Fortunately this is a free country, and a visit such as that of Mr K. J. Holyoake, M.P. for the neighbouring electorate of Motueka, is welcome, not only as a manifestation of free and lively political controversy, but as an evidence of .the attitude of the Opposition in Parliament. Taking up the stand that the Oppo sition has no duty to expound a policy, but is entitled to ask sup port on the strength of finding fault with the policy of the Party in power, Mr Holyoake certainly acted to his conception of ■ duty. He did not attempt to indicate any better policy. Any. change at which he did hint would be one going back to the policy which the country pitched ■ overboard so very wholeheartedly at last general election. However, when he pointed out last i night that the National Party did [ not come into existence until after I that election, he might have been ! expected to have at least indicated what are the principles on which it was formed, and what might be its real objective. Some may decry the National Party; but few would say its members are not shrewd enough to realise that, had they a policy with’ which they were confident of bettering the country, they would never allow the people to regain ignorant of it. Thus, it is a fair inference that however greatly they may extend themselves in talking against the Government, they do not reckon their own alternative very highly -when they prefer to say so little about it. Mr Holyoake did try to generalise, but must reflect that the result left matters less clear than otherwise. He spoke of the capitalistic System, but did not go within cooee of saying what he means by the term. No doubt he would allow that it is a system under which the great majority of a community, though they have a vote every three years—five, some politicians would like to make it—are yet 'economically unfree, and depend for a livelihood on that minority who are economically free, through their possession of the means of production. When he mixes up Socialism, Radicalism, and Communism as being one and the same thing. . however, the Member for Motueka ignores divisions which the average person fully recognises, it does not constitute a case against Labour principles to. declare they are simply Communism. Nor is it a fair thing to say the only alternatives, here or anywhere, are Capi- j talism and Communism. Such an assertion can only have one aim, 1 which is to excite alarm. When it comes to what he includes in , Socialism or Communism, Mr Holyoake admits that the guar-' anteed price in his estimation is 1 good for fruit growers, who j abound in his electorate, and pre- I sumably dairy producers. All he 1 claims to oppose is the market- ] ing method, but he must know ) that the Government could not j guarantee as surely were market- i ing badly carried out as when it ' is in a • position to ensure -cffiei- ’ ency and equality in that re- , spect. In fact, Mr Holyoake was j less ready to condemn Government measures than to endorse 1 them last evening when question- J ed in specific instances. Lie spoke I of Seddon as an innovator, but t forgot to say that Seddon and his * colleagues, when providing for 1 the workers the opportunity to ( better themselves, were hailed by I the Opposition of their day as “the Seven Devils of Socialism!” Surely there Was more than just c the land question at stake then? c Why does Mr Holyoake claim it I s

as creditable for the last Government to have undone by a small fraction its wage and pensioncutting just before going out, and at the same time question .the present Government’s greater improvements in those instances? If the Reserve Bank were a credit to the last Government because it made for some degree of national control of credit, why is a greater degree now condemned? Mr Holyoake says it was “national” control so long asjiis political friends were in office, but as soon as they were relieved of office it became “political control.” The organ of national control is the Government of the day, and neither Mr Holyoake nor anybody else can get away from that fact. Capitalistic control, of course, is that of a small minority of financiers whose firstconsideration is their own profit. The Member for Motueka in’one breath refers to the growth of revenue, and admits the general prosperity of the country, whereas he bursts in the next breath into a lament about the breaking of the taxpayer’s back. If the taxpayer has more to pay now, it is not that the Government has impoverished, but rather that it has enriched him Some salaries are held up as excessive for the Government to pay, bat when it comes to one twice or three times greater, one of £5,000 a year, Mr Holyoake says you must pay a good man properly. Mr Holyoake feels bound to criticise the State housing scheme, but does not explain why there is such a rush for the State houses, except to imply that private enterprise will not try to compete against them. What he means, perhaps, is that State housing grants should be left for private enterprise to spend. Any number of people are. ready- to accept State aid under the guise of supporting industry, but the Administration has a duty to see that such grants arc put to the most remunerative use from a public standpoint, and are not sunk in structures which are a doubtful security for the money. Another term of office is going to see the Government carry its policy to the point where the poorest people will be better housed. Workers particularly will be suspicious of the National Party after such criticism as Air Holyoake levels at all the legislation which has improved hours, wages, and conditions. He does not dare admit that he is out to worsen these things, but says in effect that he will leave them to the influences which set the standard before Labour took office. That is just about as true a criterion of the National Party as anybody could expect from one of its campaigners.