“INFLUENCED BY EXPERIENCE”

Southland Times, Issue 23741, 13 February 1939, Page 6

“INFLUENCED BY EXPERIENCE”

New Zealanders And Government LABOUR CONTROL OF DOMINION “Some of the actions of the Labour Government in the last few months are really disturbing New Zealanders. The National Party told the country before the elections what was going to happen, but the people are influenced by experience, and not by argument. They are learning by experience now,” said the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. Adam Hamilton), on Saturday afternoon. He was speaking at the National Party’s picnic at the home of Mr James Hargest, M.P., Rakauhauka, to an attendance of more than 1000. There was no other cause that meant as much to the people as the National cause, he said. Sound government of the country was one of the things that mattered most of all, and those who were in control of the country should be experienced in politics. Some persons were inclined to treat politics as a game, but it was a very serious matter. New Zealand had a wonderful name in the British Empire, said Mr Hamilton, but it was now losing its reputation. The Labour Government had lived on the reserves and profits left by the previous Government, but it was now beginning to reap the rewards of its own policy. New Zealand was spending freely, dissipating the reserves and credit of the last 100 years. It was ironical that the Labour Party, which had done nothing towards building up New Zealand’s position, should soon be celebrating the centenary. The people should take government seriously, said Mr Hamilton. He believed the National cause was right. It was that policy which had built New Zealand. He had often been asked, said Mr Hamilton, what were the material differences between , the Labour find National policies. One great point was the freedom of the individual against the domination of the State. The individual, he said, should have the utmost freedom commensurate with his social duties. The Labour Party said the State was supreme; he said the individual made the State. “CAPITAL A PRISONER”

Mr Hamilton said that since the advent of Labour, between £15,000,000 and £18,000,000, some few millions of which had been domiciled in New Zealand waiting for the exchange rate to go down, had now gone out of New Zealand. The Labour Government said it had gone to get higher rates of interest elsewhere, but it had really left because capital had no confidence in New Zealand under Labour. The import and export regulations and restrictions had now made the people and capital prisoners in New Zealand. This was surely a serious state of emergency in a time of prosperity. What would the Government do in a time of adversity? Another round was coming in the political fight, said Mr Hamilton. When Labour had been seen fully in action, the people would see its merits. New Zealand had arrived at a period never before seen in a British country; there was truly a state of emergency in Nev Zealand. . The social security scheme would begin in a few weeks, he said, and more taxes would be needed. Now that Labour was against the wall there was dissension in the party, he saii There were some who wanted to carry on and smash down the capitalistic system, but there were others who were afraid of that. The political fight was not going to be easy, said Mr Hamilton. It was a serious job. The people must fight on and be united in their efforts.