Again Alleges Open Threats Against Maoris

Chronicle (Levin), 1 November 1949, Page 7

Again Alleges Open Threats Against Maoris

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HAMILTON, Oet. 31. Speaking to a erowd of 500 in Hamilton 'tonight the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) in an eleetion address said that as Mr. Holland would be in Hamilton tomorrow, he would ask the. Leader of the Opposition to answer the following questions. Oile: That as the stated objective of Nationaiist monetary policy isctliat money and goods be kept in balanee, are serviees to be taken into aeeount? Two : Does the Nationaiist Party subseribe to Mr. Bowden's statement that the volume oi nioney and credit can and will be redueed ? . Three: By how niueli must money be redueed now to reaeh the desired eqiiilibrium? Four: How will the subsequent level of the money supply be determined in relation to goods available for eonsumption plus the volume of serviees? Five: When does Mr. Holland think he will liave4 an adequate measuring rod for the volume of serviees, and what kind of measuring rod? Six : When the money supply is redueed who will liave less money? heven : What methods will be used to reduee the money supply? Eiglit : How is 'the proposed L'reedom of the Reserve Bank from politieal eontrol reconciled with the past that it be required to rc port to tlie Government on measures necessary to give effeet to the money policy? Nine: IIow is the proposed freedom of the bank from eontrol i to be reconciled with the i'aet that Nationaiist Party in Parliament would liave to settle anv argument between itself and the bank? The Prim-e Minister said withoui adequate and elear ausvvers to these questions the National Partv's policy was absolutcly useless/ AI i*. Fraser said that tlie remark of the Leader of the Opposition that it would be tragie for Ihe Maoris if there was a ehange of Government and it was tound that there was no Mauri member on the National side, was a coutemptible aet. It was the first t'ime he had ever'heard any politieal party use open threats, as there was no doubt Mr. Holland meant that if the Maoris did not vi ie National then if the National PaH.y beeame the Government the Maoris would get no consideration. Rejilying to statements by .Mr. Holland tiiat he (the Prime Minister) had made up the statements that the National Party would abolish subsidies, rent eontrol and import licenees, Mr. Fraser said that he was only going on state-. ments made by Nationalists in tlie llouse of Parliament. Mr. Fraser quoted exeerpts from speeehes by i oc Leader of the Opposition and other members in Parliament eou(lemning subsidies, rent eontrol, import lieences, exchange eonti-oJ and priee controls, and reiterated that he had not got these things from his imagination. He would say again that the Nationalists would abolish them at the first opportimity. Tliey had often said so.