European Socialism Made Way For Communism

Northern Advocate, 28 February 1949, Page 2

European Socialism Made Way For Communism

OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS

“THE Socialist and Communist objectives are so close as to be indefinable,” said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) when addressing a social gathering of the National Party in the YWCA Hall on Saturday night. “In Europe, Socialism willingly or unwillingly paved the way for Communism” he said. Looking completely fit, and with a confident and eager bearing, Mr Holland held his audience’s attention for an hour and a half, during which he touched on many subjects, not infrequently with humour.

The hall began filling long before Mr Holland’s arrival, and by the time the social commenced few seats were left vacant.

Mr Holland, who had attended the Waipu show during the afternoon, was accompanied by the general secretary of the National Party (Mr T. G. Wilkes), Mr A. E. Pryor, divisional secretary and organiser, and Mr Alex McKenzie, chairman, Auckland division.

Mr A. J. Murdoch, M.P., and Mrs Murdoch, and Mr and Mrs J. A. Finlavson were also present on the dias. Introducing the speaker, the electorate chairman (Mr Finlayson) said: “It is a great tribute to Mr Holland when we look back to 1935 and see the work he has put in,” he said. “Labour held a majority of 28 seats in 1938; in 1943, with Mr Holland as leader, it was reduced to 12 seats, and in 1946 to four.” (Applause.) “HE’S HAI» IT.” Mr Murdoch, in a brief address, said the prospects of the National Party were improving and it was hopeful that the tide would turn this year. “We realise that wc can’t have a good Government for this country unless we get Mr Holland in with a sufficiency of numbers to carry the day. “The present Prime Minister has had the controlling destiny of this country for 13 years, and we say that is too long—he's had it,” Mr Murdoch concluded

Opening his address, Mr Holland referred to his programme on Saturday which was supposed to have been a day off. However, he was a great admirer of the courage and tenacity of the people of Auckland and Northland and he was glad he had extended Iris tour. “It is well for us to have a little stocktaking,” he continued. “There is going to be an election this year and I believe that if we all stick togethed we can achieve the objective on which so much has been expended over the past 14 years. “We are in an immeasurably better Position this time than for anv election in my experience,” Mr Holland went on. “The pi'ogress we have made from 1935 to now has been of a very x-emarkable nature,” It was amazing that an Opposition existed at all, he remarked. Houi's were shorter than they had ever been before, £43,000,000 a year was being spent on Social Security, while the national income had inci’eased from £124,000,000 to £455,000,000. Yet, today, the nartv had over IM7 active branches throughout New Zealand. "From 1938 to now we have increased our vote from 280,000 to 570,000,” Mr Holland announced. “Labour had a voting majority of 41 in 1935—n0w it is three. “FED-UP-NESS.” “There is, in New Zealand today, a feeling of fed-up-ness—of frustration. The Government knows it’s there—it was there in 1946, and I would hang my head in shame if we stooped to the depths of the Labour Party when it altered the boundaries.” Mr Holland referred to “this constant battle between rising wages and the increase in the costs of living.” “For evex-.y £1 inci’ease in wages the worker will have to find more than £1 to buy goods made by the woi'kers who receive that increase,” he said. “In many cases, when the worker receives £1 more pay, the price of the goods will not be increased by £ 1, it will be at least 30/-. If there was no remedy that would be a very dismal picture,” Mr Holland went on. SOLUTION—WORK.

in the supply of goods,” Mr Holland said. “The standard of living for the women has deteriorated in the last 10 years. Women in New Zealand will play an important part in the general election. We are going to improve the part of the women. CLOSE OBJECTIVES “Summed up, the true position today is this: Every man and woman has to answer this question; Do you want to elect a Government that will take over more industries and clamp on more controls—or do we not? If we think that we would like to live as free people then we are in duty bound to work hard to ensure the achievement of that objective. “There are many more ways of applying Socialism than by taking over industries,” Mr Holland continued. “The Socialist and Communist objectives are so close as to be indefinable.” Mr Holland said that in Europe Socialism, willingly or unwillingly, paved the way for Communism. “That is a challenge to all right-thinking people. It is the prerogative of the people of this country to decide what they want,” he remarked. “We have to provide a proper balance between town and country. When we become the Government we are going to have restored to you the freedom to spend your money how you like.” Attacking controls, he said people did not want a Government to tell how many rooms they could have in a new house,or if they cduld buy a new car or not. Not all of them were misled by the high-sounding names of Government departments—State Advances sounded better that mortgage: the FairRents Act was a high-sounding name but it was the most unfair thing he had encountered. PROVIDE INCENTIVE “I am not going to fall into the error that Mr Dewey fell into—of being over-confident,” he continued. “One of the difficulties we have to face is the vested interests of many capitalists in Socialism. If we believe in competition let us practice competition. Let us give reward and provide incentive. “This is the year, and no other, for striking the blow for freedom.” Referring to his tour of Britain and the Continent, Mr Holland said the survival of New Zealand in the economic sense depended on the recovery of Britain.

Following his addi'ess, Mr Holland invited questions. On the National Party’s policy regarding conscripion, he said that it would not be a question of whether New Zealand should introduce conscription as an individual nation, but whether it fitted in as part of a commonwealth scheme.

“The solution is more work and more production. It is not easy to talk about more work, but work is the solution of our problems. Why should we run away from the only solution of our problems today? “It is the policy of the National Party to reward thrift. “Mr Nash says it is what we have left that counts. I say, it is not what we have left; it is how much of what, you have earned you have left. We want people with a spirit of adventure; that’s the spirit that made this country. “There are thousands of men in this country today who are not producing. because it pays them not to produce. INFLATION “We must fight this foe of inflation,” Mr Holland exclaimed. “We are headlong into inflation. I will quote some figures used by Mr Nordmeyer— I didn’t ask him to say it. “He said that in 1939 the income of all the people was £185,000,000 in a year. The value of goods available to the people was £137,000,000. That means there was £48,000.000 in circulation with no goods to buy with it. “Money in circulation in 1945-46 totalled £326,000,000, but the value of goods available for purchase was £167,000,000. From 1939 to 1946 money in the pockets of the people increased from £185,000.000 to £326,000,000, an .increase of £141,000.000. The value of goods increased from £137,000,000 to £167.000.000, only £30.000,000.

“The solution of the problem of a rising cost of living rests in an increase

During the supper adjournment Mr Holland mingled with the people, meeting old and new friends. Mr Holland visited Kerikeri yesterday. and will attend in Kaikohe tonight. He will arrive at Dargaville on Tuesday, returning to Auckland on Wednesday.