Firm Measures Advocated In Checking Communism

Wanganui Chronicle, 20 April 1949, Page 6

Firm Measures Advocated In Checking Communism

Large Audience Hears Mr. Doidge At Meeting At Gonville

Emphasising; the need of increased production as the- only means of averting the collapse of New Zealand’s economic structure, Mr. F. W. Doidge. M.P. for lauranga, said, when addressing a crowded meeting in the Gonville Town Hall last night that he believed that the workers would produce more, but today they were being misled by men whose only objective was creating turmoil and industrial strife. If elected in November, however, the National Party would deal with tile problem simply and effectively. It would bring down legislation which would make it impossible for any Communist to hold office

in a trade union. Mr. Doidge added that he ag-eed with the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Mackenzie King, who, when referring to Communism, had said that there was no comparable menace in the world today. New Zealand’s Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) had admitted that it was serious, but had said that there were not many Communists in New Zealand.

“But we say that numbers don't count.” Mr. Doidge added. “What the Communists want are a few active men who will take the key positions and control them. Their main object is to create industrial turmoil. We have been told that if the National Party were in power there would be all sorts of unrest, and we have been asked what we would do about it. We say that the remedy would be perfectly simple. The laws are there and we would have to enforce them. We would not put the saps behind prison ’walls, but we would take the leaders and put them away. Firmness can prevail.”

Mr. Doidge was given a good hearing by an audience which taxed the capacity of the hall. The only interjections were of a friendly nature ano his remarks were frequently greeted with applause. The meeting was arranged by the Gonville-Castlecliff brancnes of the N.Z. National Party and Mr. S. J. Sullivan presided. Also on the platform were Mr. W. A. Sheat. M.P. for Patea. and Mr. E. B. Gordon, M.P. for Rangitikei.

REPRESENTATIVE GATHERING. Mr. Sheat said that he was pieased to see a representative gathering from the Patea electorate, and also from the Wanganui electorate. He wau anxious that everything possible should be done to further the cause of the National Party in the Wanganui portion of the Patea electorate. In Castlecliff and Gonville, however, the party had very strong branches and it was hoped that later in the year other prominent speakers would vis*t the area Mr. Doidge said at the outset that the high cost of living would weigh more at the coming election than an* other subject because it hit so many people, in New Zealand at p- esent the purchasing power was 64 millions in excess of the goods available. While this process of creating more money and producing less goods continued the country must face rising costs, which were particularly hard on oldage pensioners and people on fixed incomes. Higher production was one of the solutions of the problem, bat the employer must be given more incen/tive. Mr. Doidge added that he believed that the working people would produce more, but they were being misled by men whose object eyas not bringing*about better working conditions. but creating unrest and industrial turmoil. “The National P ai yy will deal with these people and it will deal with them very simply," said the speaker “If the National Party brings down legislation that makes it impossible for any Communist to hold office in a trade union it will earn the gratitude of thousands of people in this country.” . . Production must be increased or t • economic structure of the country would collapse. The v.orker should realise this, and the National Party believed that it would tackle the pro

lem effectively. One factor which re tardea production was the difficulty in persuading some unions to work overtime. The unions realised that with high taxation a large portion of overtime earnings was taken by the Government. The only solution to this was the removal of taxation from overtime. "PROMISES NOT KEPT." “Mr. Nash made promises that when the war ended, taxation would be reduced, but that promise has never been fulfilled,” Mr. Doidge added. Before the 1914-1918 war. New Zealand paid six millions in taxation, but today they paid 126 millions. In spite of World War II being over for some years, Mr. Nash was gathering in more taxation titan ever. The Government’s present system of bureaucratic control of imports was also wrong and the National Party proposed setting up an Impoit Control Board that would remove this power from the State and entirely eliminate any possibilty ot wire-pulling. Much monev could be sa\ ed tn_ taxpaver if the Upper House »□» abolished. The Labour Party had passed resolutions in favour of such a move as long ago as 1912, but had never done anything about it When the National Party put a Bill before the House of Representatives urging the t bolition of the Upper House, not one of these Labour members supported it. “DEN OF ANTIQUES” “The Legislative Council is just an ancnorage or safe harbour for all those old fellows who have tried to get into Parliament, but failed, said Mr. Doidge. “If the National Party is elected in November it will definitely get rid of this den of antiques. Another question of vital importance to a district such as Wanganui was soldier settlement and the existing Land Sales Act. People in areas whee he travelled extensively were incensed about this Act, said Mr. Doidge In and about Morrmsville about 400 farmers had received notice that their farms were required under the Act. “But required is the wrong word—these farms are being confiscated,” Mr. Doidge added. Though a farmer and a soldier mav agree on a certain price for the land, the Government would not accept that.- It would accept only the va ' ua ' ‘ion of the Land Sales Court, which I was based on absurd 1942 prices and costs This system was entirely wrong, but when the National Party moxed an amendment to the Act in the House of Representatives last yeai it was lost by 35 votes to 32, thiee Maori members deciding the Had it not been for tnem an I tioneble clause in the Act would have been removed. "There is no chance i of getting a square .deal undei that Act ” said Mr. Doidge. . . After the 1914-18 war, the Massey ! Gove, nment spent 18 millions in settling 10,000 returned men on the ■ land and though some did not rema >" I after the slump. 7000 did and today manv of them had beautiful farms. The Labour Government. >?owever had spent 30 millions in pitting 6000 returned men on farms and had not brought land into production as the Massey Government had done, but had taken good land from good farmers. , "There is a Legion of the Lost in the country today.” Mr Doidge added “I am referring to those young men who would make splendid farmers but they have no hope of "ver having farms of their own because they are not returned men. Manv of these boys came to me during the war years and pleaded to be released. They wanted to go overseas and do their bit. but the Manpower Committees had said that they had io remain on the farms and increase production. They also realised that if they did not go they would be penalised later.” At the conclusion of his address Mr. Doidge was given a vote of thanks, the motion being put by Mr. G. I. Jones, seconded by Mr. E. W F. Gohns