MOB PSYCHOLOGY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19898, 28 March 1939, Page 2

MOB PSYCHOLOGY

GOVERNMENT ATTACKED TYRANNY OF UNIONISM MR. S. G. HOLLAND’S CLAIMS “The National Party makes an appeal'to reason, and not lo mob psychology as the Labour Party does,” said Mr. S. G. Holland. M.P. for Christchurch North, m an address at the opening of the National Club in Hamilton. The leaders of the Labour Party had assured the people over and over again that, they had nothing to fear, said Mr. Holland, who added that the importers’ business was being wiped out 'by reducing imports to the extent of from £15,000,000 to £20,000,000. Business was being • slashed to ribbons by the Labour Government’i policy. It was a tragic commentary on New Zealand’s educational system that political lessons could only be learned in the face of adversity, Mr. Holland stated. The Abstract of Statistics showed how primary production was

dropping. The Labour Party had asserted that New Zealand could continue to enjoy prosperity independent of overseas conditions, but he contended that it was foolish to say thai overseas trade was not related to the Dominion’s prosperity. Loss in Dairying The Government’s policy had resulted in an alarming drop in production. There were 100,000 fewer dairycows in New Zealand to-day than there were in 1935. and that drop alone represented a reduction of 500,000 boxes of butter a year and £1,500,000 in farmers’ assets. “We arc in a financial crisis to-day,” said Mr. Holland, who stated that the country could not afford to "monkey with its trade with England. New Zealand exported 95 per cent of its products to Britain and received in return only 5 per cent of England’s products. The tragedy of all this trade-slashing was that it was avoidable. It was a folly that was only equalled by its moral injustice. Work on the Waterfront The tyranny of compulsory unionism , was described by Mr. Holland as a blot on the country and was one that would not be permitted a moment after the National Party got into power. The work cn the wharves had slowed clown by 35 per cent. A few years ago a gang handled 850 boxes of butter an hour, but now the quantity was 500 boxes per gang an hour. The waterside workers had three steps, “go slow,” “go very slow” and “stop." Two Ministers had pleaded with the men in a comfortable Wellington theatre with a view to persuading them to resume the “go-slow” policy of 500 boxes an hour. In the speaker’s opinion the men should go back to the 850 boxes an hour rate.