OPPOSITION VIEW

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19758, 12 October 1938, Page 13

OPPOSITION VIEW

SUCCESS AT POLL MR. HAMLITON CONFIDENT FAITH IN SOUND POLICY LIBERAL AND PROGRESSIVE COMPARISONS OFFERED (Per I'iusp Association ) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Confidence that the National Party would obtain a working majority at the elections and satisfaction at the keen spirit of its supporters and the efficiency of its organisation was expressed by the Hon. Adam Hamilton, in an interview yesterday when he was passing through Christchurch on his way to Wellington.

Mr. Hamilton was welcomed at the Christchurch railway station by a crowd of more than 200 enthusastic supporters and was cheered during a short speech. When he began to speak from the platform of his carriage the crowd sang, "For he's a jolly good fellow." and this was repeated at the end of the speech.

Another band of supporters saw Mr. Hamilton oil at Lyttelton.

"I would say that we have every prospect of winning from 45 to 50

seats at the election," said Mr. Hamilton in an interview. "This is based on knowledge of the Nationalist organisation throughout the Dominion, the enthusiasm behind the work oi organisation, the presentation of the National policy by the candidates and its acceptance by the people. "Another and important factor is the elimination of the split vote. Never before has there been such a straight-out contest, with the possibility of getting public opinion correctly registered. "There is nothing much in the announced Labour policy except the machinery of the social security legislation and the control of currency and credit.

"Contrasted witli this our policy is liberal, progressive and sound. It offers a great deal to the people that is new and more attractive than what is prophesied by the Labour Party. "Under democracy, which we must preserve, voters have to be observant that they are not misled at election time, as is very evident from the way the Labour members are going round promising free benefits from the State, but giving no explanation of the amount of extra taxation that will be necessary to support this additional expenditure. "Labour's claim for confirmation in office is that times are more prosperous now. The only comparisons they make are with the depression years and not with other Governments in normal years. This is not a lair basis of comparison. "If the wage earners knew the real official mind of Labour, as expressed in the Trades Hall and the Federation of Labour, not many would support the party. They think the Labour Party represents the working man. It docs not. It represents the Trades Hall and the Federation of Labour. "We saw the real mind of official Labour at some of my meetings in the south. It would crush the minorities and intimidate and coerce its opponents into submission.

"That type of thought does not represent the New Zealand electors, the people of this Dominion, or British democracy for which we stand."