EXPOSING FALLACIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22722, 7 May 1937, Page 13

EXPOSING FALLACIES

NATIONAL PARTY'S TASK LABOUR'S ELECTION PROMISES " Our job at the present time is to expose the fallacies and wickedness of the present administration," said Mr. F. W. Doidge when explaining the aims of the National Party to a meeting of supporters in the Eden electorate last night. "Our policy can come later, but if there was a general election tomorrow I would fight it on the principle of freedom versus Socialism, and I am not afraid of what the result would be." Mr. Doidge said the National Party wanted to bring into one organisation all those opposed to the present Government. When it succeeded in doing that it would have an organisation representing the majority of the jieople. "Its policy is outright Socialism, and that is why we speak of it as the Socialist Party," said Mr. Doidge in reference to the Labour Party. " Not one member of the Government would dare to deny to-day that he is a. Socialist."

The promises made by the present Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, on the eve of the election were mentioned by Mr. Doidge, who pointed out that the sales tax had not been removed, the exchange rate had not been lowered, and taxation had been increased so that it now amounted to nearly £2O a head. The Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D, G. Sullivan, had promised in a circular to women in his electorate that there would be no increase in the cost of living, bin recently he had admitted that thero had been an increase. Statistics showed that groceries had increased by 6.2 per cent, dairy produce by 18.9 per cent, meat by 11.3 per cent, fuel and lighting by G. 3 per cent, and clothing bv 7.1 per cent. " If there is no prosperity for tli*» farmer then there is no prosperity for anyone," continued Mr. Doidge, who described bow the Government hail promised that the farmer's standard of living would be raised. "1 can show you in the Waikato where children areworking in the cowshed at five o'clock in the morning," he added, "and that is happening in a country where ablebodied men are idling on sustenance in the city."

Mr. Doidge also dealt with what he described as the "new despotism", and said that the Government had despotic powers under which the country would writhe in years to come. "Their ideal is a servile state." he said, "and they want to bring, the country to the state of affairs that exists in Kussia."