Wanganui Opera House Filled To Capacity To Hear Speech By Leader Of National Party

Wanganui Chronicle, 5 November 1949, Page 6

Wanganui Opera House Filled To Capacity To Hear Speech By Leader Of National Party

Mr. Holland Says That His Meetings Have Been Well Attended

The Wanganui Opera House was filled to capacity last night when the Leader of the Opposition (Air. S. G. Holland) explained to an enthusiastic audience vital planks in the policy of the National Partv. Mr. Holland was greeted with vociferous applause as he walked down the aisle and mounted the stage, whereupon he was accorded musical honours. Mr. Holland’s address was listened to attentively and there was an absence of heckling.

The Mavor of Wanganui, the Hon. W. j. Rogers, M.L.C., pre-I sided and associated with Mr., Holland were Mr. E. B. Gordon, I M.P. for Rangitikei: Mr. AV. A. j Sheat, M.P. for Patea, and Mr. : E. V. O’Keeffe, National candidate for the Wanganui seat. The Prime Minister, said Mr. Holland, had been a little unfortunate in the attendances at his meetings, whereas there had been overflowing and enthusiastic audiences wherever he had spoken. The campaign of the National Party had been going extraordinarily well and Mr. Fraser knew that. "He has adopted the perfectly legitimate tactic of trying to get me to bat on a wicket that is more to his liking than mine.” The Prime Minister had thrown at him a series of questions which, as a matter of fact, he had not received. He had made up his mind that he was not going to answer questions asked by the Prime Minister. "I am not responsible to the Prime Minister, and I never will be,'' he added. Mr. Fraser had answered the questions himself and had then proceeded to tear the answers to pieces. He had decided at the outset of his campaign that there would be no muck raking on his part, said Mr. Holland. He had made that decision and would adhere to it strictly. He felt sure that the majority of the people in New Zealand would agree with him in that decision. He had divided his speeches into two parts; the first was an explanation of the policy of National Party and the second was an examination of the legislation and policy of the Government. A TURNING POINT. This year might prove to be a turning point in the history of New Zealand, which had the choice of returning the Government and going deeper and deeper into Socialism or reverting to the private ownership of the means of distribution, production and exchange, which would give greater freedom for the individual and lower prices. “The test of your voting at th e coming poll is what is best for our country,” said Mr. Holland, and that would result in a benefit to every Individual, because what benefited the whole of the country benefited every man and woman. Every time some service was made a State monopoly without any outcry from the people it was another step toward the Government’s ultimate goal of the socialisation of all the means of production, distribution and exchange. The question was whose will it be next? Will it be the stock and station agents? That would be a sorry day for the primary producers of New Zealand to whom the people should pay tribute for their work in the P ast in the development of the Dominion's primary' industries. Would It be the importer next? Mr. Hackett. Minister of Marine, had said in 1946 that it was the Government s aim to wipe out the importer. What was the next possibility? The next industrymight be the entire transport industry. Mr. McLagan, in 1945, at the Federation of Labour. Conference, moved that all transport, land, sea and air, should be State owned, as a first step toward its eventual socialisation. It might be, he said, that the next thing to be socialised would be the life insurance business. The Government had already driven in the thin end of the wedge by taking over employers' liability insurance and he did not know of anyone who drove in the thin edg e of a wedge without hoping that the thick edge would come out. "There are young people in this country who do not know what British freedom Is,” said Mr. Holland. When he returned from Australia recently he brought back articles which his children, the youngest was 21 years of age, had never seen. "Once freedom is lost, people rarely have the strength left to regain it,” he said. An opportunity for the people of New Zealand to regain their freedom would be presented on November 30. LOSSES ON SOCIALISM. Dealing with the taking over of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the Bank of New Zeadand, Mr. Holland said he doubted it there was anyone who knew of any benefit which accrued to the people of New Zealand through this action. Mr. Holland said one man in the audience had raised his hand. "What is it?” he asked, and then said it was an unfair thing for a speaker to interrogate a member of the audience. Dealing with the socialisation of the airways system, Mr. Holland said that last year the corporation had made a loss of £265,000. He did not want anyone to think that he blamed the socialisation of the airways for recent accidents, but he did not believe that

the responsibility for operations and safety should be under the same Minister. The Housing Department was losing £45,000 a week. The Minister of Railways had told the House that it was estimated that the railways during 1949-50 would lose £4,700,000. The Minister had said that to take £lOO and for every £lOO taken it was necessary to spend £l2O. The accumulated losses on the Internal Marketing Department was £672,000, which had been debited to the War Expenses Account. The steel enterprise at Onekaka had cost the people £174,000 and h® doubted if enough steel had been produced to make a pair of horseshoes. The arrears in the State Hvdro-electric Department were £1,008,291. The Government had asked for a mandate from the people to continue to make these losses. “Mr Fraser and his friends are asking for a mandate to continue the upward trend of prices. We say that a Government like that should be kicked off the Treasury bxiches,” he added. UNSOUND FINANCE “Once upon a time the manufacturers produced the goods which the people wanted. Now they produce the type of goods which they are allowed to manufacture,’’ said Mr Holland. And then along came a Minister and fixed the price which the manufacturer could charge. Me considered that many of the economic troubles of the Dominion today were due to bad administration and unsound finance. Dealing with inHation, Mr Holland said that Mr Nordmeyer had told the Federation of Labour that from 1939 to 1946 the money in circulation increased from £185,000,000 to £326,000,000, an increase of £141,000,000 and that during the same time the amount of goods increased from £137,000,000 to £167,000,000, an increase of £30,000,000. Thus, said Mr Holland, £111,000,000 of money had been pumped into circulation. Inflation would undermine the strength and vitality of any economy in any country,” he said. “We asy that it is a bad policy that a Minister should be allowed to produce more money without a corresponding increase in the amount of goods available.” The National Party asked for a mandate from the people to introduce a sound finanlial system. “When we become the Government we intend to divest the Government of the day of the power now on the Statute Book to create money without a corresponding increase in goods. We intend to introduce the correct balance between the relationship of money and goods.” A SOVIET SYSTEM “I say that it is the policy of the present Government to inttoduce in its completest sense the Soviet system into this lovely country of ours,” said Mr Holland. He read sections from the Supply Regulations Bill of 1947, which was withdrawn after a stupendous fight by the National Party. These, he declared, gave the Government the right to confiscate any property, to enter into any property and to search it. This Bill had been introduced in the dying stages of the session when legislation was being rushed through and the Government hoped the Opposition would be asleep. They asked for authority in this Bill to amend any law without consulting Parliament, and that anything which had been done illegally in the past would be made legal cy the passing of the Act. The regulations covered all phases of the country’s life. This was not in wartime but in peace. The legislation would have given the Government power to compel a farmerto produce the type of goods which the Minister or controller ordered. The agent or controller would be paid out of the profits of the land and could sell the property as if he were owner. “That Bill was withdrawn It was their intention to have it on the Statute Book, but their majority was too small,” he said. The Prime Minister had said it was not the intention of the Government to use the provisions made in the Bill. When asked why it was being put through, Mr Fraser had said that it might be needed at some time in the future.

Concluding Mr Holland said the National Party could not promise something for nothing. “I pledge the honour of every man and woman in the party that with God’s help there will be nothing that can be none for the benefit of the people that will not be attempted.” On the motion of Mr C. S. Smith, Mr Holland was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. Mr Smith explained that Mr Holland had asked that no motion of confidence in himself as leader and in the National Party should be placed before the meeting, stating that he reg.vcded the ballot box as the place for the cxpiession of such a sentiment.