OPPOSITION'S ATTITUDE

Chronicle (Levin), 21 June 1948, Page 6

OPPOSITION'S ATTITUDE

Press Association)

Mr. Hoiland Deals With Major Issues

(Per

WELLINGTON, June 19. With internationai aifairs becoming increasingly important to the economy of New Zealand and many highly important internal questions awaiting solution, indications are that the next session of Parliament will be extremely busy. Clarification of the attitnde of the Opposition to some of the major issues has been given by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Hoiland) in an interview. The opinion of the Nationai Party was that the peoi>le of New Zealand tliemselves had the riglit to decide major Licensing Act issues, such as t'requeney of polls, redistribution of hotel licences, and alteration of hours, said Mr. Hoiland. Speaking for himself he disliked State eontrol or comniunal control of the liquor trade as niuch as he disliked Socialism in any otlier form. He had heard the term corporute eontrol spoken of quite freely, but his opinion was that it was only oue ot the many forms of eonimunai eontrol. In view of the faet that at the last poll State eontrol received only 20 per eent. of the votes cust, lie knew of 110 cireumstanees to make him tliink that there had iieen any substantiai ehange in public opinion sinee the 1946 eleetion. Universal Service. The Nationai Party believed that a system of universal serviee sliould be instituted innnediately, said Mr. llollaud, ia mentioning the Opposition 's i attitude towards world allairs. If New Zealand wero to plav a Tui I part in the preservation of world peaee it eouid not leave Britain to carrv the wliole burden, and the Doininion was not entitlcd to enjov tne fruits of victory unless it wero j> rcpared to earry a fair share of the eost of niaintaining peaee. There was a timo when New Zealand was isolated, | and the affairs of otlier eountries did i not eoiieern the Dominion, but modern scienee had teleseoped distanees and ; iio part of the world was isolated to- 1 day. Another argument which will be put forward by Nationai Party members is to restore to primary producers a full measure of coiitrol of ' the marketing of their produce. It was fundamental argument in a primary producing country that those wtio prodnced the goods had the riglit to negotiate the marketing of them, Mr. Hoiland contended. Wliile iio oue wislied to ereate dif(ieulties for Great Britain — in faet, Ihe Nationai Party wislied to do e\ erythiirg possiljle to lielp licr in her time of need — the poliey of buying in the markets of the world nt world puniy prices and selling Ihe Dominion 's produce in the world inurkets for us low us lialf the prices otlier eountries wero reeeiviug for some goods eouid not be eontinucd indefinitely.

Overseas Agreements. The Government had failed to- bring any proposals concerning JBretton Woods before Parliament, said Mr. Hoiland. If, and when the Government did bring nowii proposals — which he considered it would not do— the members of the Nationai -Party were prepared to give their views. On the information available, meinbers. of the party were strongly opposed to ratifieation. ' ' Our f eeling is that the inability of Bretton Woods to diseipline those who i break the rules, as when Erance devalued her currency after taking loans under the Bretton Woods Agreemeht, is an instanee of ' just what we feared, " he said. ' Strong protests eouid be expected from meinbers of the Opposition beeause copies of the Havana Trade Agreement had been lcept from them until so very close to the opening of the session. It was a very compreliensive and complex doeument and aft'eeted every phasa of the nationai economy,. said Mr. Hoiland. Therefore it was absurd to expect anyone to ex-. press fulJy considered views without iiinple time for study and researeh. The Opposition has split up the work of studying the Havana Ag.reetuent aniong six eaueus eommittees, which .will report to a partv caucus on Wednesday. :Mr. Hoiland confirmed that the praetiee adopted last session of referring various specifie questions to caucus comiuittees with some speeial knowledge of the problenis raised would be continued. Paper Industry. "I have no more faith in the Government 's ability to make a success of the pulp paper industrv as a Btate venture tliau 1 have in the handling oi the Onekaka iron works, the Internal Marketing' Divisiou, the Turakina tunnel, or the serap metal deai," Mr. Hoiland emphasised, in reply to a « question as to the Opposition 's attitude to the Government 's proposals for developing the pulp and paper industry. • "On the other liand, I am convineed that New Zealand has perliaps its greatest poteutial for the future in the development of its timber indusIries. I aui sure that if the problem is handled by privato enterprise, ptus eneourageinent from the Government, and with only a reasonable burden of taxatiou, we can increase production of timber products substantiallv aua also our cxports, ospeciallv to Australia, where there is practicallv an uulimited demaud for the verv tvpc or timber we can produce in such abundance. "Private enterprise and not socialisatiou is the kev of the future development of our timber resources. " Southern Air Terminal. "There can be 110 exeuse for further delay in estalilisliing a modern internationai air terminal in tlie Soutli Island,'' said Mr. Hoiland. " It is (jiiit.e intolernblc that huiidreds oi South Islanders travelling bv ai-r to oierseas destinations sliould be put to the lieavy additional eost, and loss of valuuble time. by alwavs having to proceed to and from North Island terminals." Ile said that the South Island was seething with diseontent "bfccausc •"■of the Government \s neglect to give it

fair treatment in major deveJopniental works, and quotes Harewood airport and tlie Lyttelton tunnel road sclieiiie as examples. The Royal Visit. "I take it for granted that a speeial' session of Parliament, at which the King will deliver the Bpeeeh from the Throiie in person, will !>e heid dnring the Royal tour of New Zealand next vear," said Mr. Hoiland. He added, however, that he had not been consulted in the matter.