MR. HOLLAND OPENS NATIONAL PARTY CAMPAIGN

Chronicle (Levin), 22 October 1946, Page 7

MR. HOLLAND OPENS NATIONAL PARTY CAMPAIGN

—Press Assbciation

How State Tenants Can Own Their Own Homes

. By Telegraph-

CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 21. "If we work hard and eneonrage enterprise and industry, reward thrift and self-reliance, and praetice toleration and goodwill, we ean make New Zealand what it was ever intended by nature to be — a nation great, glorions and free, the first flower of the earth and first gem of the sea," said the. Leader of the National Party, Mr. S. G-. Holland in conelnding his opening speech of the eleetion campaign in the Civic Theatre tonight. Before 7.30 o'elock all the seating was taken and the doors were closed. To accommodate several hundred who waited in the cold, a nearby hall was opened and .a relay made of the speech. When Mr. Holland appeared on the stage, the applanse lasted two minutes. There were many calls of "good old Sid" and the audience sang "For he's a jolly good fellow." His sx^eech was listened to withont interfuption other than applause, only three interjections being heard in the two hours. As Mr. Holland disclosed many points of the Party 's poliey, the audience gave them a cordial reception. "I can only hope that if in future the people, assign some responsibility to me, I should prove worthy of the people 's confidence and I can give you my assurance that I shall at all times do my best to give to the country the type of administration and its performance that so many thousands are working and striving for," said Mr. Holland in acknowledging the welcome and vote of thanks and confidence carried enthusiastically.

Mr. Hollaiid devoted iuucli attentiou to the need for increasing jjroduction and said a sharefarmiug scheme would , be introdueed to help settlers without eapital to establish themselves. Dealing with New Zealand industries, wliicli lie said would be adequately protected provided they were giving efticient serviee, he described in detail tlxe proposal to set up a board of trade to determine the degree of protection that should be given. Ile annouueed his Party 's plans for maintaining full eniployment in the eveut of a reeession of prices. Housing plans, industrial relationships, profit-sharing, and steps that would be taken to avoid penalising tlirifty and industrious people were other matters discussed by Mr. Hollapd in a speeen that covered a wide ran^e of # gubjects. At the out. set,- after acknowledging the 1 welcome by thje large $UdieA(jf},]and the I mauv messages of go'odwill'" lie ' had received, he- said that ainong;"jthe basic I principles of the 'Nati®nar P'^ty were [.the belief that happv family life was Uhe olily di-ue bu'sis b f n-a|id^&l life, i that full emplovni'ent Was vifal "to main- : taining the family and the social sysi tem/ .anfl that because of • N.ew Zealand'^' lack:' 'ttf vminerfils • raw . uifiterials, prim'arw 'prbdii.etiPn; 'ij|u8t be : eonsidei-ed the' fouhdation of the pationui eeonbmv. | The National Party held that to I niaintai'n th|. purchasfiig power of people 's incomes there must be a balance between nionev and goods. To I maintain primai'y. production and fae- | tory autpuC ther^ ifiust',be - a,. 'balance I'eiwee-n • ;tdsvni qftdA cb|i^i?y^|nd to ihaiiitain'dibspii af;a^l"..'jj|h.^^f^al serivices- there itiflst bbf'a--b'ilaitibl§ qetween : -V:fM[ustrial yhi f i£gkerv*fhn^e| ,?§f coiM j oj^y/cp&fe th'd^e^Ie'l^i^Eietforts. No Gov^nmbfit cdufd "•giv'e people what it had not first taken from the people. They werq only fooling them..selves • it they- • thbuglith jtMy ppfild pr^dttce less .anai haVdj;f^fi,t%hiXe t|e theory that 'the | a suhstitute for production Was the • foid [ to ultimate" disaster. i The first task of the National Party

if it were elected would be to light the evil of inflation, whicli he likened to a codlin moth in the economic sy3tem — tlie hidden force that ate away the purchasing power of the workers ' earnings. Likewise the twin evil of deflation must be avoided. To maintain a stable price level the National Party would set up a non-political currency and credit com mission. Sound finance must be divorced from political expediency. Own Your Own Home Dealing with houses he said the first instiuct of every man was to provide a home for his family. The National Party could not reconcile its belief in individual freedom with any procedure wliicli denied to the niass of the people the right to own tlieir own liomes. Nol everyone wished to own their own home, but he believed the inajority did pu. The National Party 's housing slogan was, "Own your own ' \ and its objective for home-owners was "a debtt'ree honse at 60 ' State tenants who wished to buy their homes would he given thb opportunity of doing so at no increase in the present rental. A d'eposit equivalent to. two years' rent would he required, hut 20 per cent. of the reiit already paid would be credited towards the deposit. XJnder the present scheme a tenant paying 30s a week for a State house would have paid in 40 years £3120 in rent, and would be no nearer owning it than at the heginning. Under the National Party 's scheme every weekly payment would increase the owner's equity in his house, and at the end of 40 years, or at the end of 30 years in cases where insurance, maintenance and rates were paid by tho owner, the house would be free of debt. It would also be possibie for ytate tenants wishing to buy their own homes to arrange their own finance aud mako a straight-out purchase, but he einphasised that in ilo case would a tenancy be disturbed' if the present oc- ' eupant did not wish to purchase. : Mr. Holland said.it was eSsential to reduce building costs- and the National Party believed it could do so witliiu three years. In the meantime it was fair that the extra costs of house-build-ing caused by the present artificial conditions should be spread over the whole of the eommunity in the same way as was done with other stabilised costs. It was therefore proposed that, to encourage private building, a free.of interest suspensory loan of £100 for civil-ian-s and £200 for ex-servicemen would be granted on all houses huilt in the next three years for occupation by the owner, and not exceecimg m vaiue £1750. After occupation by the owner, for five years the loans would be cancelled. Houses built under these schemes could not be sold within ten years without first being offered to the State. A mortgage insurance scheme was . also proposed, providing for a sniall weekly premium of about 1s 4d per week, in return for wliicli, should the breadvvinner in the. family die the mortgage would be extinguished and the home left free of debt. It was also proposed to encourage the use of interlocking concrete blocks for house-build-ing by teaching men how to make a suitable type of concrete interlocking block, and hiring out tlie necessary equixunent to tliose willing to do the work for themselves. To safeguard the welfare of women and children the National Party subscribed to the principals of full employ-j meut aud a guaranteed family iiicome. There would be a special division of the Social Security Deparlmeut to look after the iuterests of woiueu aud children, and steps would be takeu to reduce the price of domestic appliances whicli niade liousework easier. Share-farming Scheme. On account of New Zealand 's lack of many of the raw materials for industry, expansion of the primary industries was of vital importance. A sliare-farming scheme would be inaugurated, whicli would enable capable and experienced men to obtain farrns of their own with out initial eapital. The State would provide the eapital to bring the farm to the productive stage, and also the live and dead stoek, and the settler would provide the labour. There was need for a Government that understood farming and instead of being antagonistic to farmers would- be helpful and cooperative. Country life, instead of being made" niore expensive and diffieult, must be made more attraetive. The National Party would provide up to 90 per cent. of the., necessary finance to enable farm-workers and sharemilkers to set up on their own, and would assist farmers in purchasing modern farm equipment for use on a cooperative basis.