Inherited Love of Freedom

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 48, 26 February 1938, Page 3

Inherited Love of Freedom

DOMINION’S PRECIOUS TREASURE.

Concluding his address to electors at Feilding last evening, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, M.P., Oroua, said: "As a result of the same legislation of past years, and the initiative courage and hard work of our early settlers, our country has become prosperous. But the real wealth of New Zealand is not merely material wealth—it does not consist only in the number of acres we have cultivated, in the number of sheep and cattle we breed, in our ships, our factories and our mines.

"We greater and more precious treasures than these, in the character and sturdy independence of our people, in their hatred of dictation, and their inherited love of freedom. And any spurious, delusive policy that seeks to substitute, #or those rich possessions, the yoke of State dictatorship, is hateful and repugnant to tho feelings of every true New Zealander. And we will not bow our necks to the Socialistic yoke. We understand that when England’s greatest admiral led his ships into battle at Trafalgar, the signal from the masthead of the Victory was, "England expects every man to do his duty." “New ZealanderS are freedom loving people, that feeling is in our blood. We are not going to allow anybody to tax us out of our homes, our farms, or our businesses. We believe that the home, the farm or other property which an individual has honestly, and in accordance with law acquired, belongs to that individual. The Socialist believes that such property belongs to the State, and should be shared with the man who has not done his part towards providing it. “We, as Nationalists repudiate the false doctrine that one can get rich by spending, that a country can save by wasting. That the producer can be enriched by increasing his costs. We do not believe that the worker is better off when his wages are increased 20 per cent., and his living costs are increased 30 per cent. In short, we believe in that freedom under which every man and every woman may do his or her daily work, in the way they believe to be right, none daring to dictate, hinder, or make them afraid!

"One of the most important matters upon which a country should ever stand firm, is a fixed determination, never, under any circumstance to tolerate any system that lessens human freedom.

"The words of the great Athenian, who lived more than two thousand years ago, are wortn remembering in New Zealand to-day, he said:—"Hap--1 iness is freedom and freedom is courage."