M.P. FOR RANGITIKEI BUSY ADDRESSING BRANCH MEETINGS

Wanganui Chronicle, 14 April 1949, Page 6

M.P. FOR RANGITIKEI BUSY ADDRESSING BRANCH MEETINGS

MARTON, Last Night (OC).—Mr. E. B. Gordon, M.P. for Rangitikei, has been particularly active of recent weeks in National Party affairs in his electorate and has addressed wellattended meetings of the various branches when officers for the new year were elected. Mr. Gordon has been given an enthusiastic reception and members generally have expressed their determination to do their utmost to bring about a change of Government at the forthcoming election. During the course of his addresses, Mr. Gordon has dealt with many matters of great importance to the Dominion. REHABILITATION. In discussing rehablitation of returned servicemen, Mr. Gordon stated that the Government’s policy had become almost a farce, and he cited cases in his own electorate, where a period of fou r years had elapsed, between the time the Government had first negotiated for a farm and they had placed a serviceman thereon. At this rate many of our returned servicemen would be receiving the old age pension before they were placed on farms, said Mr. Gordon. He stated that the National Party’s policy was to speed up the settlement of returned servicemen, and to institute a progressive and vigorous land settlement policy for all who desired to settle on the land. He was of the definite opinion that the only way to maintain and improve the standard of living lor all, was to increase our primary production. In dealing with taxation, Mr. Gordon stated that the taxation for last year amounted to £126,000,000 which was considerably in excess of that collected in the war years. This high taxation was due to wasteful Government expenditure. He stated that high taxation was destroying the initiative of our people; he believed that taxation only sufficient to run our country efficiently should be collected and that the people had the right to spend their money in their own way. Dealing with inflation and the high cost of living, Mr. Gordon stated that the Labour Government’s policy had placed many of our people in very difficult circumstances. DEALING WITH COMMUNISM. Discussing international problems, and in particular Communism, Mr. Gordon stated that in all cases socialism had prepared the way for Communism. Communism was a great menace to the whole world and the only way to deal effectively with this | problem in New Zealand was to' put the National Party in office, said Mr. Gordon. Mr. Gordon paid a tribute to Mr. S. G. Holland, the leader of the Party, and stated he had the wholehearted support and co-operation ol the Parliamentary Party. BRANCH OFFICERS. Principal officers elected at the various branch meetings were: —Bulls ) chairman, Mr. R. O. Dalrymple, secretary, Mr. W. F. Jurgens; Feilding, chairman, Mr. D. H. Mclnnes, secretary, Mr. C. A. L. McCall; Marton, chairman, Mr. A. B. Marshall, secretary, Mr. M. McConachie; Hunterville, chairman, Mr. J. Leslie Lambert,! secretary, Mr. P. Weston; Mangaweka, chairman, Mr. J. G. Bonnor, secretary, Mr. T. W. Pairman; Rangiwahia, chairman, Mr. Jas. Watt, secretary, Mr. A. F. Price; Sanson, chairman, Mr. D. Rowe, secretary, Mr. A. G. Jolly; Okoia, chairman, Mr. R. H. Christie, secretary, Mrs. G. R. Jones; Makirikiri, chairman, Mr. p. L. Wickham, secretary, Mr. V. Horrocks; Ngaturi, chairman, Mr. G. R. J. Wyley, secretary, Mr. Jdhn Campion; Halcombe, chairman, Mr. R. C. Hamilton, secretary, Mr. J. J. Miles.