CAMPAIGN NOTES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22518, 28 September 1938, Page 16

CAMPAIGN NOTES

What is Socialism? “I would like to ask the candidate if he knows the correct definition of Socialism,” was a question put to Mr S. G. Holland. National Party candidate for Christchurch North, by a member of the audience of about 100 which heard him last evening at the corner of Garden road and Wairarapa t6rrsc6 “I could give you half a dozen,” replied Mr Holland. ■ , „ ... “There’s only one correct definition of Socialism,” the questioner retorted. “Well, I shall give you two and you can take your pick,” said Mr Holland. “One is that we all put all our money and resources into a heap and then cut it up into shares, and when each has got his share he puts it back in the heap again. But I don’t think that one will do. I think Mr Bernard Shaw is accepted as an authority, and he says in the Encyclopaedia Britannica that Socialism, reduced to its simplest terms, means the complete discarding of the institution of private property and the conversion of it into public property: and that equality of income is Socialism.”

There was no response from the questioner, who did not indicate whether he regarded this as the “one correct definition.”

“Victimisation and Boycott”

“That the practice of victimisation and boycott” attributed to the Labour Party by the “Political Duster” advertisement of the Christchurch Business Group of the National Party could be applied to the National Party itself was asserted by Mr T. H. McCombs, M.P., at his meeting at Sumner last night. He said that many businessmen were afraid to support Labour ppenly, for fear of victimisation. Intimidation and boycott were the weapons of the National Party, and such an accusation came well from the Business Group. Many employees had been subjected by their employers to a cross-examination about their political affiliations, with the idea of forcing them to vote for the National Party, Mr McCombs said. Difficult to Handle

“At a meeting in Wellington, Mr Hamilton said that the Social Security Bill was very difficult to handle in the House.” said the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, during his meeting in King Edward Barracks last evening. “He said that the Opposition had to steer a course that would prevent the Government putting them offside. Surely what he meant was that he was just trying to fool the people, bqt a wise man once said something about not being able to fool the peoole all the time.” Emphasis On Home Life

“We can build up this country without cutting wages,” said Mr S. G. Holland, M.P., National candidate for Christchurch North, in an address at the corner of Garden road and Wairarapa terrace last evening. No party could pass through a depression like the last without learning a lesson. The higher aim of the National Party was to build up the nation on the home life of the people. The finest immigrants New Zealand could have came through New Zealand cradles. Mr Holland referred to the gibe of the Hon. P. Fraser at the National Party’s proposal to advance money for furniture to young couples. “Mr Fraser said, ‘One more baby and the furniture’s ours,’ ” he commented. “That’s the idea of it. He’s quite right.” Of his party’s housing policy, Mr Holland said that it was intended to build homes for the people, not merely houses. They would be homes built by private enterprise, expressing the individuality of their occupants.

Hon-_H. T. Armstrong at New Plymouth

An audience of 500 listened to the Hon.' H. T. Armstrong (Minister for Labour) until 10.15 o'clock at New Plymouth bn Monday night, and supplemented the formal vote of thanks and confidence in the Government and the local candidate by cheering the Minister. Mr Armstrong’s address was largely similar to those given elsewhere during his present Taranaki tour. He received an attentive, and friendly hearing, his points being well applauded, and only one question was asked at the conclusion of his address. The Mayor (Mr E. Gilmour) was chairman. Loud-speakers were installed for those outside the hall. Labour Party’s Fighting Fund An accusation of misrepresentation against the Hon. Adam Hamilton was made by Mr T. H. McCombs. M.P., when speaking at Sumner last evening. He said that Mr Hamilttpn, speaking recently at a luncheon in Christchurch, had stated that the Labour Party had £5 for every £1 of the National Party with which to fight the election. As the former Minister for Labour, Mr Hamilton must have known quite well that only a proportion of the trade unions were affiliated to the Labour Party, ‘and that, whereas the contribution was actually Is a member a year, to coincide with Mr Hamilton’s statement the contribution rate' would have to be between £1 and £2 a member, said Mr McCombs.

Political Fighting

“If I cannot beat my political opponents by fair means, I won’t beat them at all,” said the Prime Minister last night. “I won’t have, anything said about the religion taught me on my mother’s knee and 1 won’t have any chain letters going round. I will meet them as man to man, as citizen to citizen. I will fight the battle as a man and I will win as a man: and if I go down, I will be a man.” Attitude to “Uncle Scrim”

“Will Uncle Scrim go if the National Party gets into power?” was a question asked of Mr S. G. Holland, M.P., National candidate for Christchurch North, after his address at the corner of Garden road and Wairarapa terrace last evening.

“No man can pass the comments which were passed about us in a recent broadcast and expect to continue doing so,” replied Mr Holland, to applause. “Not for five seconds,” he added.

Earlier in his address, Mr Holland said that the National Party proposed to put the National Commercial Broadcasting Service on a sound business footing. “It’s only a baby yet,” said an interjector. “Yes, it’s only a baby,” was the reply, “but it has lost a mighty lot of money.”

Working for One’s Self

. “Anybody worth his salt would rather work for himself than for anybody else,” said the Prime Minister last night. “I could not sense any freedom in working for employers, although I had some wonderfully fine employers. The time came when they told me that they could get on without me. The only holiday I have had in the last 45 or 50 years was when I was looking for a job. There again you find that state of insecurity that does not make good Christians or good citizens. We want more security right through every stratum of society.” “No Confiscation” There was laughter at the meeting at Tai Tapu last evening when, speaking. before the Minister for Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, Mr T. H. Langford, the Labour candidate for Riccarton, said: “I did not bring Mr Semple down to take possession of ‘Otahuna.’ ” This reference to rumours of property confiscation by Labour amused the crowd, which filled the hall even to standing capacity. Mr Langford paid a warm tribute to the character and service of the Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes. “I hope the owner of ‘Otahuna,’ Sir Heaton Rhodes, will be long spared to this community,” he said. “I am quite sure the people here appreciate very much his living here. Of course no intelligent person would be so stupid as to believe any government would do what has been suggested, to the property of that fine gentleman. He has done a fine service to the community and the country all his life.”