“WAR RESTRICTIONS SHOULD GO”

Wanganui Chronicle, 5 September 1946, Page 4

“WAR RESTRICTIONS SHOULD GO”

HEAVY TAXATION ALSO MR. MEREWETHER’S VIEW

“While I agree that, the war made many calls upon the people and necessitated many restrictions, I nevertheless say it played into the hands of our Labour Gov. eminent, and full use was made by them to implement, many of their domestic policies,” declared the National Party candidate for the Wanganui seat, Mr. U. W. Merewether. addressing a meeting of the women’s section of the party yesterday afternoon.

Mr. Merewether added that although we had lyid twelve months of peace we were still governed on a war-time basis.

“I feel confident," said Mr. Merewether, “that the quickest and most logical method of getting back to a proper peace-time basis is to lift all restrictions and relieve the heavy burdens of taxation. My own opinion is that we must immediately open up our trade with Great Britain by lifting import restrictions, which, by the way, were not a war measure, for these, were Imposed in 1938. "Every encouragement must be given to the increase of our primary productions, for it is here that our real source of wealth is derived. One of the first calls upon our efforts is the building ot houses, and every restriction which has a bearing on this should at once be lifted. Every effort and encouragement must also be made to procure adequate supplies of coal and cement.

‘When we can see progress and are overcoming such shortages, then 1 would advocate a vigorous, immigration policy. By doing this we will definitely be in a position to guarantee our secondary industries a better home market, and enable locallymade goods to be produced upon a more economical basis. We wUI thua be able to compete against Imported goods.”

Mr. Merewether said that taxation must be reduced, so that industries were encouraged. Nothing was calculated to create a feeling of frustration, both in commerce and private lives as an over-bearing burden ot taxation.

Quoting official Government figure*, Mr. Merewether said that between 1936 and 1946, the total of taxation had risen from £5,500,000 to £115,000,000, the public debt from £322,000,000 to £624,000,000, and the cost of Government from £26,000,000 to £lOO,000,000.

Taxation per head of population had risen from £l6 63 in 1936 to £67 5s 3d ,n 1946, and the total taxation for a family of five from £Bl to £336. The per capita burden of public debt, £204 in 1936, had readied to £355 10 yean later, an increase ot from £lO2O to £1775 in the case of a family of five.

“It is essential that we break loose from these ever-increasing Ixtnds of dictatorship which our Socialistic Government is putting upon the freedom-loving people of N.Z." Mr. Merewether said. “You have the right to record your vote as you see fit, in November, and I ask you one and all to consider well whether you wish to accept National Socialism, or to retain the freedom for which so many of our lads gave up their lives."