NATIONAL PARTY

Hutt News, Volume 20, Issue 3, 19 June 1946, Page 3

NATIONAL PARTY

PREVENTION OF HARDSHIP "There will never be depressions such as have been known, in the past," was the remark Of one of the audience at the fortnightly discussion evening held by the National Party, Lower Hutt, last Wednesday. Members of the Hutt Debating Club and the National Club gave very diverse methods by which New Zealand's economy could and should be protected if overseas prices fall in the future. Most of the speakers held that Governments should not spend freely on capital development during prosperous times when, through world shortages", there were rising prices, but should endeavour to balance our economy by increasing sUch spending when prices lor our priniary produce fall. Such expenditure would counterbalance the lo'ss" of income suffered by primary industries. None of those who favoured a state Of socialism showed that under such" a system there would be any more protection for the country's standard of living than existed under the present system Of personal enterprise. The remark quoted above summed up the views of most of the speakers, and particularly those of Mr. J. W. Harris, who said that all business men were endeavouring to find ways and means of counteracting any falling off in the purchasing of the public, so that no hardship would be . suffered . by themselves, their employees or the public generally. The principal speakers were Messrs. Stace, Stewart, Hart and Brosnau, from the Debating Club, and" Messrs. Harding, Harris and Greeriaway, from the National Club,