MR. HOLLAND CONTINUES ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN SOUTH ISLAND

Wanganui Chronicle, 9 November 1949, Page 5

MR. HOLLAND CONTINUES ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN SOUTH ISLAND

OAMARU, Last Night (PA).—"ln my judgment the question of the restoration of capital and corporal punishment could never be a policy decision, but must be determined by the conscience of each Member of parliament," said the Leader of the National Party, Mr. S. G. Holland, in an address in the Opera House tonight. in view of the great increase in the number of murders an overwhelming majority of people supported the restoration of capital pumsnment, he said. For some of the most revolting crimes against morality and against women and children, heavy sentences were imposed by the Courts only to find the prisoner was released after a lew years. The National Party policy was to reverse completely the policy of the early release of those convicted of these grave crimes. After travelling extensively in the North Island, Mr. Holland said It was his opinion that no party policy hud been received with such wide aciuim as had been the National Party policy of 1949. Independently supervised ballots on strike issues, and on elections of officials of unions was touched on by Mr. Holland. “This would apply only where the membership was compulsory,” he said. "People are compelled by law to belong to some society or union, then there is an obligation to ensure that such ballots are properly conducted.” There was actually a provision in the existing law for the registrar of. industrial unions, or some other official of the Labour Department, to supervise ballots in certain circumstances. If the Labour Government did this it was apparently all ng lit, Mr. Holland said, out if the National Party did it, then it was told it was all wrong. The depression of 1930 was man made, ana in the light of subsequent events they found it was oadly handled, Mr. Holland said. He would say, however, that there was country in the world which handled the position so well as did the Government in New Zealand. Inflation in New Zealand today was also man made, and it was also being badly handled. Inflation undermined the strength and vitality of economy. Mr. Holland outlined what had happened to the stabilisation pool account of approximately £44,000,000 invested by farmers. Of this £40,000,000 had been left with the Government for safe keeping, but every penny of this had been spent on railways, hydro electric works, tunnels anp other works. If prices tailed and the fanners asked tor their own money, what policy would the Government adopt? Mr. Holland asked. The Government would go to the Reserve Bank, as it had in the past, and ask it to print money which would be pumped into circulation. There was an attendance of about 700, and Mr. Holland received an attentive hearing.