A UNITED OPPOSITION

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4957, 18 February 1937, Page 5

A UNITED OPPOSITION

NO TIME FOR PARTY DIFFERENCES. The need for a consolidation of the forces opposed to Socialism was emphasised by the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, in an address to members and supporters of the Nationalist Party in the four Wellington electorates at Hataitai on Tuesday night. Mr. Hamilton, who spoke along the lines of his Martinborough address the previous evening, was accorded an enthusiastic reception, and at the conclusion of his speech a motion was carried unanimously expressing confidence in the party and loyalty to Mr. Hamilton as its leader.

Mr. H. R. Searle presided. In introducing Mr. Hamilton, the chairman said that many people were very apprehensive concerning the ultimate outcome of the Socialistic legislation of the past session. They were also somewhat perturbed as to what the present Government had in store for them in the future.

Cheers were given for Mr. Hamilton when he rose to speak. "We are in the second Parliamentary year of the present Government's term of office," he said. "Next year will be election year. We have to see to it that we have our party in good fighting form when the time comes for the election. When the electors make a decision it is our duty to abide by that decision. Nor is it our duty to attack a new party too early. Last session the Government had our history to talk about; next session we will have theirs. Sinking of Differences. "The times to-day demand a united Opposition, and unless we are prepared to sink our minor differences and get into one camp we will have to stay in the wilderness for many years. This is not a time for old party differences. Sectional government is not good government and for that reason I have always set myself against a country party. What we want is all sections of the community to pull together for the good government of New Zealand. A true combination of all national interests is what is required." Reference was made by Mr. Hamilton to the monetary system, the Government's housing policy, and the Church and the totalitarian State. Last election, he said, the Labour Party had successfully wormed its way into the support of many good church people. The party had capitalised the difficulties through which the country was passing .and tried to make people believe that the churches' purpose of social service was something associated with Socialism. If the Church had anything to fear it was the totalitarian State. That was the Church's greatest enemy, and the first clash in Russia and Germany had been with the Church. The war in Spain was along the same lines. Money For Housing. Dealing with the Government's housing policy, Mr. Hamilton said that the Minister of Finance, Hon. W. Nash, had announced before he left for Britain that the Government was obtaining £3,500,000 from the Reserve Bank for housing, and that this was to be new money, created money. The rate of interest had not been announced, but they had been led to believe that it was to be obtained at about % per cent, and that it would be lent to the tenants at 3 per cent. The main point was that it was stated to be created money, apparently to satisfy the social crediters in the House of Representatives. People v/ould have to wait until the books of the Reserve Bank closed before they could get full details of the_ transaction, but as far as he could see the money was nothing more than a loan from the Reserve Bank. It seemed that the money advanced was part of the reserve deposits of the trading banks which were obliged to place reserves with the Reserve Bank. The previous Government had placed a limit on these reserves, but under the present Government's legislation there was no limit. If another slump came the reserves of the Reserve Bank would be £3,500,000 weaker to stand the ; strain. He understood that 15 joiners were coming out from Scotland. It might be said there was a shortage of journeymen joiners, but there was no shortage of master joiners, who naturally did not want to take up work in a factory but desired to build houses themselves. "The past Government has built up a wonderful heritage in New Zealand," concluded Mr. Hamilton. "The preservation of that heritage is worth fighting for. We want to build and progress, but togo forward with care and confidence. We want, to be sure that every step we take is secure and along with that security we want our people to enjoy the utmost liberty-. We want to encourage enterprise and initiative." -