SLUMP AND DEATH PENALTY

Grey River Argus, 9 November 1949, Page 4

SLUMP AND DEATH PENALTY

Mr Holland At Oamaru P.A. OAMARU, November’ 8. Mr S. G. Holland, in an address in the' Opera House, said: “In my judgment the question of restoration of capital and corporal punishment could never be a policy decision, but must be determined by the conscience of each member of Parliament. In view of a great increase in the number of murders, an overwhelming majority of people support restoration of capital punishment”. He said that for some of the most revolting crimes against morality and against, women and children, heavy sentences were imposed by the Courts onlj z to find prisoners released after a few years. The National Par’"’' policy was to reverse completely early release of those convicted of these grave crimes. He said that, after travelling extensively in the North Island, his opinion was that no Party policy had been received with such wide acclaim as the National Party policy of 1949. He spoke of independently supervised ballots on strike issues and on elections of officials of unions. Mr Holland said: “This would apply only where union membership is compulsory. If people are compelled by law Lo belong to some society or union, then there is an obligation to ensure such ballots are properly conducted”. There was the actual provision in existing law for the Registrar of Industrial Unions or some other official of the Labour Department to supervise ballots in certain circumstances. If the Labour Government did this it was apparently all right, he said, but if the National Party did it, then it was told it was all wrong. DEPRESSION OF 19!™ He said the 1930 depression was man-made. In the light of subsequent events they found it was badly handled, Mr Llolland said. He would say that there was no country in the world which handled the position so well as the then Government in New Zealand. He said there was inflation in New Zealand to-day. It was man-made. It was being badly handled. Inflation undermined the strength and vitality of economy. There was a stabilisation pool account of approximately £44 million invested by farmers. Of this, £4O million had been left with th Government for safe keeping. Every penny of this had been spent on railways, hydro electric works, tunnels and other works. If prices failed and farmers asked for their own money, he asked what policy would the Government adopt. The Government would go to the Reserve Bank, as in the past, and ask it to print money. It would be pumped into circulation. There was an attendance of about 700. Mr Holland received an attentive hearing.