MR. S. G. HOLLAND SCOTCHES A RUMOUR

Chronicle (Levin), 14 August 1946, Page 5

MR. S. G. HOLLAND SCOTCHES A RUMOUR

-Press Association

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, August 13. "It is one of the oldest politieaj tricks in the world," said the Leader oi the Opposition (Alr. Ilolland) in Christchurch todav, when referring to wjiai an article in the Southern (.'ross uescribes as "a persistent rmnonr in politieal circles in Wellington" that a wealth of baekers of the Nationai Party, being dissatisfied with his leactership, intend to supplant him with Alr. K. J. Ilolyoake, the Nationai meniner for Pahiatua, "a mueh youuger ano more vigorous nian. ' ' Alr. Ilolland. wlio was interviewed by telephone by the Evening Post, went on to say: "When a party sees defeai staring it in the face and when it is bankrupt of ideas itself, as the preseni Government obviouslv is, as shown oy the lack of legislation this year, ami when it eannot pick lioles in the policy of its politieal opponents, then the tncK is to shift the ground to some otliei argument. That usuallv is to attacK j the leadership of its opponents. Au that I ean say is that the Labour Party would love to think there is even a semblanee of truth in the story pnblisn ed in the Southern ('ross. I refuse ro iight this election eampaign on tne battleground of personalities and witn the weapons ehosen by my politieal opponents. The issue is wliether Aew Zealand is to have a policy of nltimate and eomplete ■ ational Koeialisni or wliether the people are to be free, and I ean tell the Labour Party timi they haw no ehauee in the world, so far as 1 niu eoneerned, of rhiftiug tliat grouml ro .oue of jjersoiuilities. " Mr. W. J. tSim, Jv.C., president of Ihe party, issued a categorical. denial t.hai the party eontemplated any change in its leadership, saying tliat a slton answer to the rumour-inongers would be found in a resolution passed at itit party 's reeent, eonferenee, uHirming sup port of Alr. ilolland 's leadersliip. "Since. the Nalionals advoeafe freedoni so strongly, we niust eoneede to our opponents freedom to slart and niaintain as many rumours as they please, " he said. "Since passing the resolution in support of Afr. Ilolland, nothing has occurred, save in the imagination oi those wlio beat u]> rumours, to dmturn the unity of the Nationai Party or its eomplete confidence in the leadersliip oi Alr. Ilolland. "