Hutt Electorate

Hutt News, Volume 11, Issue 41, 23 March 1938, Page 5

Hutt Electorate

• MR. J.. W. ANDREWS TO. OPPOSE • HON. W. NASH. , Following the large representative deputation of men which waited on the Mayor, Mr. J. W. Andrews, asking him to allow himself to be hominated as the candidate to contest the Hutt seat in the National Party's interest, at the next General Election, an equally large deputation of ladies imet Mr A:r*.'3ws' in the Horticultural Hail ui ■■. .Jnesdlay afternoon and secured consent to allow himself to be nominated for the position. The members of the latter deputation were ■thoroughly representative of all parts of the electorate. Speakers reported that womqn inemlbers of the party who had inade systematic canvasses of the district had "been surprised at the support which was promised for the National Party iby the women o,f the electorate. Many had expressed, their disapproval of the five-day week and were alarmed at the increased cost of living. . Mr. Andrews was born in. New Zealand and has occupied the position of Mayor of this borough for the past five years. Ho is engaged in .business as a joinery manufacturer in Lower Hutt. ■ In 1925 Mr. Andrews stood as the National candidate for Masterton. When Mr. Andrews assumed office as Mayor in 1933 the finances of the borough were in a very unsatisfactory state, there being a deficit of £35,000. Mr. Andrews !has been mayor of Lower Hutt for five years. To-day there is a credit, and loan indebtedness has also 1)0011 .substantially reduced. The borough has made great progress during his tennis as mayor. Town planning and .the development of sports areas have been pursued. In his first year as mayor, Mr. Andrews reintroduced Arbor Day in the borough,' and as a result hundreds of trees have been planted in the streets and elsewhere. 'Starting as a private in the prewar volunteers, he rose to the rank of company commander on .the Western. Front in the- Great War. He was wounded at Messines in 1917. He is a piromiinent member of the Hutt Valley Ibranch of the Returned Soldiers Association and president o,f the Hutt. Valley Regimental Association. He is well known as an active supporter of all sports in the district. He is past-president of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, and has had wide and successful commercial experience as the proprietor of an important manufacturing "business, situated at Lower Hutt, and as a company director. He was elected last year as representative of the Wellington province on the Dominion Centennial Celebrations Committee, and is a member of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board and the Wellington City and Suburban Highways Board. Recently he was appointed to the Wellington Hospital Board. For some years Mr. Andrews was secretary of the election committees of the late Mr. A. W. Hogg, who represented Masterton for over 20 years, and was for a time in the Liberal v Ministry. Mrs. Andrews has taken a leading part in social work for . the district. She is president of the Lower Hutt. branch of the iPlunket Society, the League of Mothers and the Hutt Valley Basketlball Association. Mrs. Andrews is also a member of the committee of the Wellington Free Ambulance. Party Leader's Good Wishes Following on the announcement of Mr. Andrew's candidature he read the following telegram from the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Adam Hamilton: "I am delighted to learn you have decided to accept nomination as National candidate for Hutt at next election. Your long and distinguished public record, together with your war service and commercial knowledge and experience, eminently fit you for service in the Parliament of our country. Please accept my very best wishes for pleasant and successful campaign."

CALL TO PRESERVE A GREAT HERITAGE. STATEMENT BY MR. ANDREWS Unless those opposed to the forces of Socialism closed their ranks to safeguard what was worth while in the country's past and saw to it that a valuablo heritage was preserved and cnriched, not dissipated with blind recklessness, there Would soon be little for the people o,f to-day to enjoy; certainly nothing for their children, said Mr. J. W. Andrews in a statement to "The Hutt News" on his .candidature for .the Hutt seat. He had had little time for party politics when the nation was running an even course. To-day the position was changed. Every anti-Socialist must constitute himself or herself a protector of a heritage won by years of unaided, unpampered self-endeavour and-a guardian of the future that was theirs to enjoy, or, if Socialism were not checked, to regret. Nationally every man and woman owed to New Zealand what in the smaller circle of home they owed to their families—the duty <rf providing for the future, and, out of the example and experience of the (past, of adding to .the material substance of national and individual fortune. What -had been built up was not entirely lost. So substantial was the .foundation- that reckless dissipation had but shaken it. But with these ominous shakings—these- blows to national confidence—there came the call to repair, protect, and maintain. It was not too late to ensure that all the material and moral wealth of a fine country was preserved for those whom . its endowers —'the pioneers of agriculture, ■commerce, the professions,

and trades —intended to benefit. They should enjoy this heritage Iby all means, but t'here was also the responsibility, forgotten by Socialism, to hold it and enhance its value to pass

To-day every virile man and woman in New Zealand' saw the danger being forced on them of mass regimentation and the breeding o,f a nation of thwarted, discouraged and deadened ambitions. There was no room, in his opinion, for any policy or method 'that :bred limited vision >and mediocrity of achievement. The writings of Socialism. were already on 'the walls of legitimate trade and industry. The right of a" man to think and fight, for himself was threatened. Thinking people saw 'the. country under its present administration not marching forward but moving back to .the suffering and hardship of the economic depression. Fox the Socialists the 'hour of victory 'became, through their unthinking improvidence and recklessness, the .beginning of defeat. Once .there was freedom for industry with compulsion in its rightful background; to-day restriction and compulsion had front seats at the throttling of industry. He believed in a social system in which authority and freedom were Iblended in just proportion —neither should be the slave of the other. The fruits of the free spirit of tyrannical restriction. •Socialism had its ideals, but ideals without knowledge and judgment were apt to run to waste. He was particularly impressed the representations that had been made to him iby men and women who had been avowed supporters of the Socialist Party at the previous elections. That the vain promises of increased wages without increased prices and plenty of houses to rent at 12/6 to 16/6 per weels had been mere political trickery had (been forcibly brought home to them. He wanted all to 'realise that the time had come to fight for their right of individual expression; it was now beinj» filtered away and, oncc lost, no avenue of democratic expression would remain ito regain it. It was no time for half-measures —those who were not with 'the lighters for the preservation of all that was worth while in Now Zealand's heritage and tradition were conspirators, however (blind, in tihe political destruction of the finest gem in a rich Empire and false to ■their trusteeship on behalf of generations to come.