NATIONAL PARTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25800, 22 March 1945, Page 9

NATIONAL PARTY

ADDRESS BY MR J. A. ROY

There was a good attendance of members and supporters of Ihe National Party at Owaka on Monday night to meet Mr J A. Roy, M.P., who spoke on the policy of the Parliamentary National Party. Mr T. Maginness presided, and introduced Mr Roy and Mr C H. McDonald, the group organiser of the party. Mr McDonald explained the organisation of the National Party, and stressed the importance of the formation of district' committees. lie said that (here were 75 committees in the district for which he was responsible—viz., Oamaru. Central Otago, and Clutha. If ttis rank and file of the Nationalists did their share, the result of the general election in 1946 was a foregone conclusion, and the country would return to a truly democratic form of government. Mr McDonald mentioned the nec-ssity for financial support, and gave some details of the expenditure that was incurred in a successful election campaign. Mr Roy, who was greeted with applause, said that the present Nationalist Party was definitely a new party. He emphasised that the younger members were in the majority, and that majority would be considerably increased after the next election as many of the older members contemplated retiring at the end of the present Parliament. The National Party would have to gain eight more seats to qualify for the Treasury benches. Mr Roy said that they had complete confidence in their leader (Mr Holland), who was active, sincere, and capable in every way. The clearcut issue at the next general election would be ” State ownership and control versus private enterprise.” The Labour Party believed in complete State ownership and control, and the Nationalists, whilst agreeing that certain public services were suitable for State ownership, believed in the retention of private enterprise and the right of the individual to control his own business.

After criticising the appointment of an army of Inspectors and supervisors, which, he said, had been necessitated by the Labour Party’s system of government, Mr Roy concluded his remarks by saying that he was convinced that the majority of the people were ready for a change of Government, and he was sanguine as to the result of the general election next 3’ear.