MR. S. G. HOLLAND'S NEW YEAR MESSAGE

Chronicle (Levin), 31 December 1947, Page 7

MR. S. G. HOLLAND'S NEW YEAR MESSAGE

"The year 1948 presents itself as a year of challenge to the nations of the earth, and no less to the people of New Zealand, ' ' said Mr. S. G. " Holland, Leader of the National Party in a New Year message today. Although nearly two years had passed sinee the end of the second world war, the brave new world and the "new order, " of which so much had been heard during the war years, had not vet materialised. No o.ne could say the period since the end of the war had been notable for peace, harmony and progress. For millions of people, c-ondftions since the worst of the war period had improved only to the extent that they were no longer in physieal dhnger, and uq louger subject to the fyranny of Naziism. Otherwise their conditions of life had actually deteriOrated, and the colution of their problems was being obstructed by suspicion, frietion, and widespread underground propaganda. Peaceful Aspirations. "The challenge of 1948," said Mr. Holland, lis that in a world toru asun der by conflicting ideqlogies, reason and righteousness shali prevail. A situation in which any one nation, or the repres entatives of an\- particular ideology, can obstruct the peaceful aspirations of the peoples of the world should ltoi be permitted to continue. "We in New Zealand must help Britain to the fullest extent of our ahility. Britain is. today paying tlie price for her wartime sacrilices, par licularly in those fateful days wlien she stood alone, nndaunted and undi:fealed. It is a price that no nation with sueh a proud record should have' to pay and every otlier country should therefore be doing its utmost to assist Britain in her hour of need. "We should remember with gratitude the generous contrihutions which the Pnited Wtates of America has niade and is still willing to make, to assist world reeovery. Co-operatidn' and harmony iietween a united British Empire and the United States is the hope of tluworld. I believe those two nations will accept the challenge of 1948, a'iid, having accepted the challenge, will not be influenced by any other consideration Lhan the ivelfare of humanity in genefal. 1 . .' Challenge To New Zealand.

"For New Zealand, • too, 1948 is a year of challenge. The same conflict of ideologies which threatens to divide the world into two opposing factions is present to a large degree in our own country. Ilere, too, we have restricdons on personal freedom, a continuing shortage of goods, the rising spiraJ of inflation, and the problem of regainng a stable price level. All these difficulties, ivliich press so heavily oa people in every wallc of life, are a cha! .enge to our u isdom and determination. "During the war we cheerfully surrendered, in the common cause, many traditional liberties and privileges which avc had ahvays regarded as inseparable from our British way of life Naturally it was understood that al. ihese hard-Avorn rights of the people would be restored Avhen victory had i>een achieved. lt therefore canie as something of a shoek to the people to be told, in the dving hours of tlie receni session, that many Avartime controls were to become a permaneut feature of our social organisation. Only a most determined resistance on the "i>art of the Parliamentary Opposition prevented that Jegislatiou from reaching the Statute Book, but the publie have receive.i a Avarning which they cannot aff'ord ro ignore.

-"For tAvelve years now, including six war years, we have seen the steady groAvth of a system of State control of aatioual socialism, Avith its attendant. netAvork of controls, regulations, permits, and licences. Where has all tJiis got us'^ The ausAver is that there are far fewer goods and services availlable to the people. We ha\'e tried issu■ng money AAituout goods, but the only effect has been a further increase in the prices of goods already aA'ailable, an-.l a further eurtailment of nornial living ■•tandards. Incentives And Production. "The challenge of 1948 is whether the people of New Zealand aviII turn from this socialistic system, under which the State dominates the lives of the people, to one which will make for co-operation and harmony, giA'ing an Lncentive to greater eff'ort, and a fuiler volume of goods through scientific nxethods and greater efficiency. "We can approach 1948 with the liigh hope that such a change is coming about. Eecent election trends in Austraiia and Britain, the municipal eleet'ion results in New Zealand, and byelecticn results in the past year, culminating in the National Party 's striking gains in the Westland by-election, encourage the thought that a decisive change is at hand. People now realise that there are no shortcuts to prosperity. More, than ever it can be said that what we take out of life depends jpon what we put into it. "The opportunity to develope to the full the genius and latent energies of our people, so that we may replace re.ffrietions with freedom, do away with 3hortages, and attain a stable price level, is now witliin the grasp of the people themselvea.'-' {