POLITICAL ADDRESS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 79, 27 May 1946, Page 5

POLITICAL ADDRESS

NATIONAL PARTY’S PLATFORM

VISIT OF MRS HILDA ROSS M.P. Upwards of 160 enthusiastic women attended a meeting in the King Street Hall last Tuesday to listen to an address by Mrs Hilda Ross, M.P. for Hamilton. The Mayoress, Mrs B. S. Barry, presided and welcomed Mrs Ross, as did Miss North, President of the National Party Ladies’ Committee. Mrs Ross told her hearers that women should take a more active part in politics because their lives were so often affected by legislation. Regimentation and hardship were cheerfully borne during the war but now we are beginning to feel we would like to have things a little easier. The import restrictions of 1938 caught the retailers with empty shelves, and now women were asking where were the cots, prams, honsheold linens and materials that are obtainable elsewhere. The Ministry of Supply did the purchasing, and Mrs Ross instanced a large purchase of American towels which were bought to sell at 7/3 each,

while English towels could have been purchased to sell at 8/9 pair—of equal quality. Mrs Ross stated that import controls were against British exports. We should help Britain as much as we could, she said. We should have been in a poor position without British support during the war years, and we should not only produce all we could to help Britain, but should open the door to the exports which were so vital to her. Housing Shortage The speaker emphasised the need for more housing. The State houses were a great job, but there were not enough of them; also the National Party would advocate tenants being allowed to purchase if they wished. The lack of timber supplies was partly due to heavy taxation. If the millers made over a certain amount they were forced to hand the greater part of it over in taxation. This also applied to the local miners. The miners had a dirty and hard job and they could produce more if they were able to keep their earnings instead of being heavily taxed on wages over a certain amount. Thus ■cement' works, brick works, gas works and transport were all ham- , pered through lack of coal. Mrs Ross said it had been asked “what would the National Party do about strikers?” The answer was there were laws—if they were bad ones they should be altered, if they are good they should be enforced. Labour’s Budget Mrs, Ross said everyone had heard .about Mr Nash’s Budget, which was .going “to win the election.” Probably there would be lowering of taxation and reduction or lifting of the sale stax. Women might say “they are not so bad after all.” “You know women get a bit sloppy sometimes,” she added, “but it would be well to remember the broken promises of the past.” ’ The Labour Party was dead against conscription, but when the time came they forgot their principles and swallowed it; radio licenses were to be reduced, they were still 25/-; sales tax was to come off —its gone up, sale tax on a material at 7/11 is 1/2, on sheets 5/-.to 8/6; the country quota would not be altered—the Bank of New Zealand was “a good institution” and would not be touched —both gone; Legislative Council would be abolished, instead it had been enlarged. Our High Commissioners The great grievance of the Labour Party against the last Government (which Mrs Ross emphasised, was not the National Party—they had not held office—yet), was that “they travelled to much, it was unnecessary—the High Commissioners could do the job.” Now there should be a new song “Join the Government and see the world.” No sooner was one Minister out of a ’plane than another hopped in—“perhaps they want to use the seat while it’s still warm.” We had an Ambassador in Russia—noLody knows what he does but it costs the country £28,000 per annum to keep him there. There is another in Canberra. Homes for Soldiers Regarding Rehabilitation Mrs Ross said the returned man must have a home; many broken marriages were due to young couples

having to share a home. We had buildings erected for thousands of men during the war, and if war came again tomorrow we would find timber and labour to erect more. Some way must be found to give the soldier his home. The National Party believed that no Military defaulter (by which she did not mean genuine conscientious objectors) should be released to obtain homes and jobs before the soldier was fixed up. Mrs Ross’ talk was enlivened with several humorous remarks, and tales of experiences of hers which greatly amused her listeners. At the conclusion of her address she answered several questions. A light afternoon tea was served, and Mrs Ross mingled with the ladies present, among whom were many old friends. A vote of thanks proposed by Miss North was carried with enthusiasm.