NATIONAL PARTY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 63, 9 April 1943, Page 5

NATIONAL PARTY

MEETING AT EDGECUMBE

VDDIIESS BY MR F. W. DOIDGE

Despite the transport difficulties of the times', a good, and representative gathering of friends and supporters of the National Party assembled at Edgecumbe. on Tuesday night to hear Mr F. YV. Doidge. M.P., speak. The main purpose of the meeting Avas that constituents should, have an opportunity of making contact with their member, of hearing at first hand Avhatever the. public is permitted to learn of lobby gossip and of bringing forward those questions usually kept in cold storagainst such A'isits. Mr J. Neilscn, of Edgecumbe, presided over the meeting and Mr \V. Sullivan, the. popular "Bay'' member lent the moral support of his presence on the platform. As a matter of fact considerably more' than moral support was given for, at the close of the meeting, Mr Sullivan made telling use. of his limited time to rebuke those whose emphasis upon any discordant notes within the party, Avas most unhelpful. He stressed the fact that the party members were as a whole working together very honestly as a team., Organised Effort Mr Doidge avlio had intended speaking foi a strictly limited period, found that an hour of capable, and eloquent disquisition merely served to Avhet the appetite of his audience and, he was .granted an enthusiastic extension of his time. He commenced by stressing the ne.Cjd of any party for organised effort, if it would hope to succeed at the- polls and lie acknowledged the help Avhich he, as a candidate, had enjoyed in this respect. Speaking as he was to a "party" meeting he proceeded upon a more dispassionate note than in his to traverse a very Avide field of political discussion. From time to time however, the Member for Tauranga Avould emerge from the calm of dispassionate survey and Mr Doidge would claim with all his: wonted A'elicmence that this country had the right to hear more than'half ruths ,from its poli-< tical leaders: that e.A 7 cn in time of war, the traditional rights of our democratic form of Government should, be preserved as fully as possible to the people and not be .submerged in the. floods of political expediency. Party Action Defended He defended the action of his party in refusing to continue with the attempted fusion of incompatible elements and he claimed that, as far as he was concerned personally, he had cast his A T ote against that attemptThe speaker Avas, on the whole, optimistic in regard to the Avar situation and did not deny that much had been done, even if belatedly, tot put the defences of this country in a healthier condition. Speaking of the AA'ar generally he paid, striking tribute to the heroic resistance of the Russian people when he said that "all the hopes of Hitler haA r e found their shroud in the white snows of Russia.'' Americanisation Deplored Mr Doidge Avas most unequivocal in his attitude towards those, both here and abroad, who suggest that the logical and desirable outcome of events Avould be. for New Zealand to take her place as "yet another star in the spangled banner." Our gratitude to America, he declared, was in no way diminished by the intense desire to offer our loyal allegiance to one country and one country alone. Such dangerous suggestions should be killed at their very birth for, said Mr Doidge the loyalty to the Motherland was such that every true, son would fight to the last ditch ere an alien flag Avould fly over a single a'crc of New Zealand soil. Together wilh the answering of questions the speech provided as interesting and as comprehensive an insight into matters poll tical as Edgecumbe has. ever been afforded and the favourable, comments Avhich have been heard since are the best evidence ol the audience's appreciation. Those in the country districts like tr> feel as this audience was' made to feel, that tliey enjoy, equally Avith those, at the cities, the right to receive from their Parliamentary representative the. account of his stewardship.