NATIONAL PARTY AIMS

Southland Times, Issue 23473, 1 April 1938, Page 13

NATIONAL PARTY AIMS

ADDRESSES GIVEN AT TOKANUI

FREEDOM PROMISED FOR INDIVIDUAL

There was a large attendance of residents from all over southern Southland at a meeting of the National Party in the Tokanui Hall when Mr J. Hargest, M.P., and Mr T. L. Macdonald, the National Party’s candidate for the Mataura electorate, gave addresses. Mr Macdonald referred to the lively interest being taken throughout the country in political matters. were two roads open to New Zealand, he said. The one followed by the Labour Government led to Socialism. The National Party aimed at equality ot opportunity, as opposed to Socialisms equality of reward. Equality of reward did away with personal ambition and consequently the country would be “stifled” if that course was followed. New Zealand is governed by a distinctly sectional government, Mr Macdonald said, and so was unbalanced. Farming was being retarded by heavy taxation, for, in the end, all taxation fell back on the land. t The speaker said that the extinction of the small farmer, which, he said, was advocated by Mr C. Morgan Williams, the member for Kaiapoi, would be disastrous for the farmers of the Dominion. And, in his opinion, Government interference in business and other walks of life would lead inevitably to dictatorship. , Mr Hargest referred to the importance of controlling the country’s affairs with the very best men possible, both in the Labour Party and in the National Party. The greatest fault the Labour Party had was its government of the country for one party only, and for one class only—-that ruled by the Trades Halls’ councils. NATIONAL PARTY’S AIMS If the industrialists were well contented and prosperous, Mr Hargest said, then some of the farmers’ best customers were contented. Farmers, industrialists, workers, importers and civil servants all noticed the things that affected themselves most, but it was necessary that everything be done for the benefit of all classes of the community. The National Party did not believe in slashing wages and pensions, but it did believe in a fair deal for both sides. It believed, too, in evolving and adding to th© Dominion s social services, which were second to none in the world. The Government had been able to spend money very freely because of the tremendous increase in the national income. In 1935, when the Coalition Party went out of office, wages cuts had been partly restored and Pensions had been completely restored. The country was not bankrupt. There was plenty of money in the various departments for the present Government to spend. The Opposition had not opposed the Government in its restoration of ■wage cuts, new pensions schemes, and shorter hours, in so far as each was practicable. The National Party believes in reciprocity of agreements for fostering trade with England, and maintaining it to the uttermost, Mr Hargest said. Private enterprise had made New Zealand what it was today, and the support of the party was to be given to the small shop keeper, merchant and farmer. The best class of worker in New Zealand today was the farmer’s son and the farm worker, but now when they wished to get married they drifted off to the towns and to the public works where they could get a house. Land subdivision was necessary for the betterment of the country. Mr Hargest emphasized the need for a Ministry of social welfare to look after the well-being of the women, the children, and the youth of New Zealand. Germany, Japan and Italy were training their youth to be soldiers, but New Zealand should train its youth to be fit and well in body and mind, so that they would not become a charge on the public revenues in after life. “There is a clear-cut issue before us in the next election —freedom of the individual on one side, and Socialism on the other side,” he said.