MR. HOLLAND REVIEWS LABOUR’S LEGISLATION

Grey River Argus, 6 May 1948, Page 5

MR. HOLLAND REVIEWS LABOUR’S LEGISLATION

Address At Auckland P.A AUCKLAND, May 5 The Leader of the National Party, Mr S. G. Holland, addressed an enthusiastic audience in the Town Hall a crowd of about 2,500, who gave Mr Houana a. rousing welcome with cheers and musical honours, and later passed unanimously a vote of thanks to him. He rbierred to what he termed results of socialist planning in New Zealand over the past 12 years. .Labour had all sorts of plans. They had plans to decide in New Zealand wno moi«J set up in business as chemists. Last year of 20 people wno applied to be chemists, eight were granted permits and 12 wefe refused. Of ninety-five applicants for permits, wanting to make footwear, 43 had had permits granted. T?,e other 50 did not obtain'permits.

“They have plans to decide who shall travel and where he shall go,” he said. “They have plans for switching off power when it is needed most. I regret that we can look forward to a nurnoer oi years, perhaps up to ten years, continuation of an excess of demand over supply. The Government has organised a demand for electricity, and it forgot to organise supply. “Socialism has plans so that only the better-off people can own a car. it has plans to allow into the country only one motor-car for every five cars needed. There are plans for preventing young people from planning their homes, and the number of their children,they would have by refusing permits to build houses above certain dimensions. They have planned and planned until a hen’s egg is almost a museum piece.” He continued: “Fifty years ago, there were better amenities. We are going back to tin baths, wooden spouting and downpipes.” Mr Holland said that the plans apparently included tin sheds for universal buildings. He had had to show these to Lord Beveridge. There were plans to manufacture candles ,instead of electricity, and to go back to where our grandfathers had been. Losses were suffered on various Government, enterprises. '“This is the Government that says that planning is. the way out,” he said. “No one will envy the next Government its task. It is not going to be easy, or even possible, to fix up in a year or two all of these distortions of years. But the National Party—if returned —will use its utmost to endeavour to put the country on a sound basis.”