Mr. Holland Sums Up Coming Election Issue

Chronicle (Levin), 18 February 1949, Page 3

Mr. Holland Sums Up Coming Election Issue

WELLINGTON, Feh. 17. "The issue in . the forthcopoing General Election is a simple one," said Mr. S. G. Holland in an address to the JDominion council of the National Jfarty ■ which met in Wellington today and wiii continue its meeting tomorrow. "It is no't a question of who is going to oifer most to the people but a question of which "side we are on. Do we want to see a Government that willtake over home industries and put on more socialistic controls or do we notv That is the issue. It is going to .he a question of which party is going to he oest for the conntry." Mr. Holland said the National Party organisation was in exeellent *shape aud sentiinent was swinging their way. The job of ediyiating the publie about socialism was a long one. It had taken a number of years to bring the story home but he thought they could estab: iish tliat notliing socialism had done. had benefited the eonntry. The election was going to he deeided in a number of closely held electorates and although there was no room for complacency, he thought prospects were good. There never has heen greater unity in the Parliamentary Party. Refeijring to the Maori seats, Mr. Holland said the National Party would not attempt to outbid the Labour Party but no one was keener than he and his colleagues to-do the best for "the Maori people and if the National Party were the Government, the Maoris would be treated fairly and justlyv The president. Mr. W. 3. Sim, K.U., who weleomcd the visiting members of the council, said Party representatiou in Parliament had risen steadily and according to all the laws of probability, ihe graph Would this year extend itself weli into the forties. The party would gq? to the country witli a determined policy expressod in clear and positive terms and would work as never ,before. All who shared in its aetivities had a responsibility and in retrospeet would regard 1949 as one of° the most responsible years of their lives. It was a privilege to bear such responsibilities. • Mr. K. J. llolyoake, deputy. leader, and Mr. W. Sullivan, M.P. for Bay of I'lenty, who .was welcomed after his trip abroad to the Empire Parliamentary Conference, also spoke. " Ultimately we have got to deal with these gentlemen or be sold out one by one," said Mr. Sullivan when referring to communism. The spread of com-. munism, he said, was the most serious nxatter touched o.n in the diseussion of foreign affairs at the Empire Parliamentary Conference which he recently attended.