The Grey River Argus FRIDAY May 23, 1941. OH HELP!

Grey River Argus, 23 May 1941, Page 4

The Grey River Argus FRIDAY May 23, 1941. OH HELP!

The National Party, which met in Wellington yesterday, must be doubtful about its prospects of being taken into the Government of the Dominion. The President, Mr. A. Gordon, struck a new note in his address, but it probably signifies no more than a new party cry. The Party’s task, he said, is now to frame a philosophy. This is to be based —purely—upon moral and spiritual values. By that means, he says, everybody is to be helped to stand on his or her own feet. The Labour Party had not done so, its policy not helping in the building of character or of na-

tional greatness, nor had it been helpful to the development of personality. Let it be admitted at once that character or spiritual strength, both individually and collectively, does constitute the base of national greatness. Air. Gordon’s philosophy may be so sound and inspiring that its adoption by his Party would exert an excellent effect, but. whilst he may proclaim such an end, he leaves the people to. guess what the means might be. It has been the standing moral weakness of the political elements cemented in the National Party that they have said one thing and done something quite the contrary. They have talked of encouraging energy and enterprise, but in action they have encouraged monopoly which stiltifios both enterprise and energy. They talked

or keeping our national crecin sound, and then starved the people. The credit of the nation they dedicated to the temple of usury, and sent away the means of exchange which the masses required in order to obtain a decent standard of living. No doubt, the principle of social security is regarded by Mr. Gordon as something which kills enterprise, and probably also the principle of the guaranteed price for staple production. The manipulation of the public credit by private interests for private people 'may represent his spiritual ideal, but it has been weighed in the balance, and been by experience proved the worst brake upon enterprise and ener gy that ever afflicted any country. Mr. Gordon might have in m iiirl flio nvfnncinn n-f ft+nfp on.

torprisc when he thinks people have not been encouraged to stand on their own feet, whereas he gives not a remote hint of any way national needs have been or could be met by private enterprise under the conditions set by modern industrial capitalism. Without for a moment denying that it might be advantageous wore individuals able to become more self-reliant, it can honestly bo said that the National Party never did a thing to,enable this condition to be established. If, | for instance, our dairy farmers; had boon-allowed by the Govern-J men! to remain in the morass 1

whore it found thein, thousands of them would not be standing on their foot in a manner they are able to stand to-day. Are the aged, the sick, and the poor no better off morally and spiritually for the provision which the Government has made for them? Would the tens of thousands who used to be workless six years or seven years ago have been philosophically inclined in the right direction had they remained so

until now? Who are the backsliders and dullards Mr. Gordon can discern in New Zealand so much more numerously to-day than eight or ten years ago? Is our industrial performance any less? Indeed, this suggestion of moral decline is a reflection on the population. However, the point is. not how any political spokesman may generalise. It is rather a question of what specific'measures he may have to propose. If the history of the anti-Labonr philosophers in. New Zealand is any criterion, they have only one destiny for the great majority, and it/is merely to compete against each other increasingly as proletarians for l bare subsistence. ; The Laboui Government has demonstrated to the people that co-operation, and not competition, is the motor of true progress. Yet it is a reasonable inference that Mr. Gordon is one of those philosophers who believe competition is the greatest character builder and that mere rivalry in the economic order is the authentic evidence of spirit and character. He is miles behind the times. Modern and other factors which have radically altered hu man environment have put a premium upon planning and rendered an increasing degree of collectivism inevitable. When the critics of the workers refuse to redress social injustice in the way dictated by common sense, they must be prepared for redress in a more rough and ready fashion. At anyrate it is going to be very interesting to hear Nationalist candidates expounding a philisophy of spiritual uplift and at the same time explaining why they want to do all the preaching and want the other fellow, like a. hero, to practice their maxims.