National Party and Elections Steady Progress Claimed

Grey River Argus, 17 December 1948, Page 8

National Party and Elections Steady Progress Claimed

CHRISTCHURCH, Dec 16. ‘‘Every indication suggests that the day of our return to the Treasury Benches will not be long delayed,” said Mr S. G. Holland, M.P., Leader of the National Party, in his address at the reception tendered him by the Canterbury division of the National Party last night. “I am constantly being asked what are our prospects for the next election, and I would say that we have every cause to entertain feelings of restrained optimism. I say restrained because there is nothing more dangerous than over-confidence. We have an excellent chance. 1949 is our great year of opportunity. We are in a ■ much better position a year before next election than we were a year before the last one.” The National Party had achieved what had not been accomplished in any other British country—the harmony and unity of all the anti. Communist, anti-Socialist forces within one party, under one leader. It had also succeeded, where others had failed, in reconciling the interests of town and country inside one policy. It had brought primary production and manufacturing industries together, with a full appreciation of each other’s problems, and had proved that the interests and welfare of one were the interests and welfare of the other. During the year the party had continued to make steady progress. In Canterbury alone the membership had increased by over 2000 and the greatest progress had been among the young people, who had formed several new branches. The Parliamentary party was a happy, united, and hard-working team. No leader of a political party had enjoyed a greater measure of loyalty and devotion to its cause than he had received. They had no internal problems, and faced the future with every confidence that they would be able to provide a Government of considerable ability, of sound judgment, and with a singleness of purpose Jo do only what was best in the interests of all the people. “We approach that task fortified by your enthusiasm and support..” said Mr Holland, “and confident that the basic principles for which we stand are better suited to a British community than are the principles of Socialism, which find so similar a counterpart in the philosophy of foreign countries.”