HOPES FOR THE NEW YEAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21068, 30 December 1931, Page 10

HOPES FOR THE NEW YEAR.

MR. H. E. HOLLAND'S MESSAGE PROBLEM OF THE DEPRESSION. [nY TELECiP.AFH- —press association. 1 AVF.STPORT. Tuesday. A new year's message from the T.eader of the Opposition, Mr. IT. E. Holland, is as follows: May the new year bring a full measure of prosperity and the joy of life for all citizens of New Zealand, and people of other lands as well. The primary essentials to life and happiness are food, clothing, shelter and common enjoyments. When the light to these is denied to any section of the people the whole nation suffers, and conditions arise such as are now being experienced, conditions which should find no place in the historical records of twentieth century civilisation. When the dawn of 19.32 breaks for New Zealand it will find many thousands of people enduring unprecedented hardships in the midst of teeming plenty, and this is an immediate problem that must, be faced, not, only bv the public representatives, but by every responsible citizen, until it is solved. Our new year greetings and good wishes will bo likely to ring like sounding brass in a multitude of cars. We must set ourselves the task of overcoming the cousoquences of the present depression by the rcabsorption m industry of those who are now in the ranks of the unemployed, and the speediest restoration of the people's purchasing power.

We must write our laws, organise our industrial energies and ruder our economic relationships so that, productive and consequently remunerative, work will not be denied to those who are physically and mentally capable of performing if. In few countries, and least of all in this richly productive land, is there any sane reason why men, women and little'children should be compelled (o endure lack of food or any of the other necessaries of life. The fact that such condition does prevail a collective confession of failure in the past. The past, however, is beyond recall, but the new year brings new opportunities to build well for the present and future. To that work we must bring both courage and flits capacity to make fundamental changes that are necessary. ]\lay the new year bring prosperity and happiness, n.av it, also bring "God's great gift of peace." 1 sincerely hope that unqualified success will crown the deliberations of the delegates to the. Disarmament Conference which will meet in Geneva, in February, ending the international criminality of warfare and furnishing permanent. guarantees of peace and tranquility to Ihe peoples of the- world.