NEED FOR A CHANGE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 121, 25 June 1941, Page 5

NEED FOR A CHANGE

THE FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS - jVIII F. W. J ill OIAD'F O OT' S ADDRESS Surveying world affairs and giving his opinion of the causes leading up to the present war, Mr J. W. Broadfoot, M.P. fof Waitomo, gave an address to National Party supporters at Edgecumbe last Thursday. Mr Broad foot accompanied Mr F. W. Doidge who also spoke, and both emphasised the need l for preparation for the forthcoming elections. "Mr Doidge is regarded as one of •our best Storm Troopers," said Mr Broadfoot. "His measure of success is the way the Labour Party loves him." Reviewing the world situation, he went on to say that it was slowly but surely brought about by the loose thinking policy adopted by the T?-£iigsay -JVldftonald Government in Great Britain. The policy of disarmament, when all the world was arming, was an indication of their poor understanding of human nat-ure. Of Mr Neville Chamberlain, he said that in spitel of all criticism lie regarded his staving off of the war as one of the greatest achievements of modern times. Preparation time was therefore gained for Great Britain to the extent of one precious year. Thei Old Lion, had had its teeth and claws drawn. Now however it had been to the dentist, had been equipped with a new set. •and had grown new claws, which it /was using to good effect. New Party Leader. Speaking of the change of leadership, he said that M'r Holland was regarded with complete confidence by all party adherents. He was. an -able debater, and could be relied ■upon to give strong voice to the "new policy which would .shortly be released. He criticised recent pamphlets issueid by the Labour Party and said that one, 'Labour and the Farmer' was full of misrepresentations and half truths. The Government was not facing Tip to a hundred per cent war etffort, and was simply breaking the hearts of the one hundred thousand members of the Home Guard, who were crying out for arms and equipment. There should have been a man in .America months ago buying arms. Strikes Condemned. ■Strikes and hold-ups continued in spite of the war. In his own electorate, there was a coal mine in operation. He knew of 50 single men who worked there, yet who were protected from being called up for Avar servica because they were engaged in an essential industry. What Tight had they to strike! Speaking of the housing problem, lie said that he maintained the belief that people should be entitled to own their own houses. At any rate the Government houses were not meeting the naeds of those who real- ; ly required them. He would like to know the person living in any one , of them who was drawing less than , &o 10s a week. Most of the cases lie , •knew of were of men earning £6 and £7. They were allowed in be- , ■cause the Governmc<nt was sure .they could pay their rent. /

The New Aristocracy. There was an internal struggle -going on all the time between democracy! and socialism by the State. The Government delegated its control to the Trades Union who were "the 'new aristocracy.' Did the people of New Zealand know that there ■were 800 trades secretaries in this country? Speaking of democracy, did we still have free assembly. Yes, possibly. Did we havexfree speech? He -wasn't sure of ""fhat . It was well bottled up at the pfesent time at any rate. Did we have free elections.? Well, we hoped so. Did we have a free press? No a vicious •censorship had been imposed. In England it was a voluntary one. Did people know that all neAVspapers were notified that they were not to print a line of the Woburn strike. Further did people realise that the same censor had notified tho papers that they were not to be permitted to comment on the suppression of the news, or the act whereby it was suppressed. Not one! of the liberties of democracy were permitted in Germany. Italy or Russia. For his part he suggested that in New Zealand we had a hybrid of all three. Tf once our liberties were lost to us, we would have to be prepared to go through all the fighting and suffering which our ancestors had, to win them. (Continued in noxt column)

You Can Murder in New Zealand. "Do you know," said Mr Broadfoot, "that 3*oll can murder in NewZealand with importunity! He stated that every murderer since Labour had been in power had been reprieved. The recant dastardly attack upon a prison warder by three prisoners, who had made their escape, was a further instance of what was happening. The ring leader was order-ed,-by the judge to be flogged, yet this had never been done, because the Attorney General had seen fit to step in. After criticising the Small Farms Amendment Bill, which he classed as a mosit iniquitous piece of legislation, the i speaker praised the scheme promulgated by the Returned Soldiers' Association. The adjustments throughout the Empire after the war, would demand a general getting together for collective collaboration. He strongly favoured the Child Migration Scheme, introdued in Australia by Mr Kingsley Fail-bridge. New Zealand should aim at a population of five million. At the conclusion of his address Mr Broadfoot was, accorded a vote of thanks by acclamation, on the nation of Mr F. J. Reynolds.