Hopes for Future

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20693, 31 December 1938, Page 9

Hopes for Future

PEACE & PROSPERITY PRIME MINISTER’S REVIEW ECONOMIC EXPANSION “The beginning of a new year affords a suitable opportunity for all to pause for a while to take stock of our year’s achievements and to give some thought to the future," states the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. M. J. Savage, in a New Year message. "It is the practice. I know, for the Prime Minister's message to set out the sum of achievement of the year, and from the sources of information at his disposal to give some indication of what he believes to be the prospects of the year ahead. But since the events of the past year are still very clearly in the people's minds, I should like to confine myself tj the present and the future.

“Those who serve the public have a great responsibility in constantly looking ahead in order to form opinions about the future before deciding what courses to follow. Obviously, the wisdom of their actions depends upon the wisdom of their judgment on future trends. International S/ituation “Overseas there have been few years in living memory of greater anxiety and sorrow. During 1938 there have been, and indeed there are still, wars in progress and threats of war. Tn the economic sphere the great world centres have experienced a serious trade recession, which, fortunately, now show’s an upward trend, but so long as the countries of the world are engaged in an insane and gigantic scramble for armaments there can he little likelihood of a return to normal trading conditions. To a country like New Zealand this is a serious matter. “From this far-off and well-favour-ed land we can remark the contrast of our own peaceful prosperity with the uncertainty abroad with feelings of the deepest thankfulness. As a result of three years of a Lahonir Government we have made a notable recovery from the nation-wide d'stress of the slump period. To-day living standards are high and we have embarked on a programme of expanding social services which must raise those standards still higher. Further Industrialisation

“The Government has spent money in order to get the business machine hack into running order. The national income lias been expanded by increasing the purchasing power of the people, and by increasing the country’s powers of production, trade and income have been maintained, and. given the effort and the will, they can be increased. The Government is determined to encourage further industralisation and to secure a more rapid increase in production. “Above all. it is necessary to bring into existence industries wlitoh serve a sound economic purpose. If slumps

are frit abroad we wmulrl be worse Ilian foolish in th 5 s country if we did not Hpplv the experience we have cained in them treatment in the recent, past. To the extent that we have acted in accordance with those teachings. we have succeeded in keeping* prosperity here and we mean to keep it here. “We Will Fight Slumps” “T would bke to renpat now what T have s^trd manv t>m°s. We will fight slumps and not- pro with them. We will fl"ht them with a nolicv of expansion, not of retrenchment. Plumps are not ippv : t°h!e: thev ran be overcome by vigorous. intelligent measures, and. above all, by a spirit of confidence and optimism. Those who attempt to undermine confidence in the Government or who rosort to the unpatriotic practice of financial sabotage are do\}\<r ■, »T.n V n to their country. XoUbnr flra"c ! al desertion nor industrial s'nfe can be. permitted to enfj........r our pronomv. 1 Our present pmsneritv and rising I * * endard iif living are worth defend- ! in<■. and t would like to take this | opt.ortuivty to call on everybody to co-operate with flie Government to that end Co-operation can take many forms. F!«*s» of all there is the spirit of «• O : 11 *i I ont ! ml«m. More than .that -'here is 11 • o wMlimrness to help. I in n,»n v, i 1 >, i| s |.|*nS. hilt i’.i always l ; e with the people themselves. [ have alreadv stressed the need for ma'ntahi'nsr ana increasing the volume of production. T'>e co-operation of everybody can take its most- practical course in this way. Message for 1939 “The message I would erive for 1939 Is this. let us keep what we have trained and let us all work with a will to birld a sfMl richer and happier New Zealand. Above all. let us show the world that we still have faith in our democratic institutions bv making: them function efficiently and well. ‘•lf our heritage of the democratic wav of life is" worth enjoying- it- is worth defending with all the spirit we possess, and I think we in New Zealand have that spirit .aid that faith. I trust that 1939 will see us a step nearer to our goal of a sound and contented country. “A happy and prosperous new year to you