SMELLS RED HERRING

Chronicle (Levin), 2 November 1949, Page 7

SMELLS RED HERRING

Press Association)

Mr. Holland WiU Not Be Drawn By Mr. Fraser

( Per

HAMILTON, Nov. 1. Over 200 people' could not get into the Theatre Royal, Hamilton, last night to hear the election. address Oy the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holiand) when over 1000 people crowded in the buiiding and many others listened to the loudspeakers outside. Mr Holland received a rousing reception and a vote of' thanks was carried with great applause. "'The Prime Minister was here iasl night and had made some observation.1lo which I wish to make refereuce, ' said Mr Holland. "First he said theri was nothing wrong with Mrs Ross ex cept that she was on the_ wrong sule L will go a great deal further tliau Mj Fraser, and say not only is there no iliing wrong with Mrs Ross buL tln-n is everything right with her. Furtner more, if-she is on the wrong side oi tlu House now she will be on the right sidi on. December 1. "Mr Fraser had addressed a long list of questions to iue. Before tiu i-ampaign began i thought mai ters ovm and set mv course. I decided that n;\ part of tlie campaign would eome undcj two heads: Our poliey and Laliour'.administration. I also deternnned that as far as I am concerned there wouiii oe 110 personalities uor muck-making. "The Prime Minister knows perfec? iv well what l will say tonight, aud :u my story is not oue that suits him he n deternnned to divert me from the course L have set myself. The Prime Mimstoi had obviously laid ui a large stock oj red herrings before tlie campaign open •*d. These wore to be used to switcli the I'ampaign on to any otlier ground tliar an examination of the Goverumenl ;- adiuinistration and the Nationai Par' ty 's policy. ' 1 M r Fraser employed the novel tuc tics of ostablishing liimself as a knic of a political quiz rnaster as if 1 an answerable to him. Were he to succen; in getting me to alter my taetics am light the election according to liis tac tics he would go down as an exceeding ly shrewd campaign tactician. He waiiti to shift the ground but he is not gom^ to succeed. 1 shall not be dii'erted fron the course I have set myself, and an certain the people have come here to uiglit not to hear me answer Mr Fras er's questions but ot liear me sjieak t h* tway I have intended, wliy Labom should go out and wliy Nationai shoult go in. " Labour has annouuced its policy t day. tt is for the people to decide. Thert is no massage for the people, no imagin ation, 110 realism, no hopeful outlook In a nutsliell it says if Labour is re turned you will be given some nioi loses of what we liave been giving yoi: for tlie past 14 years, and as a sweet ener they have thrown in a sort of elec tion mixed grill of more cement, uion petrol, more butter, mixed to taste witl :i few discarded buiiding regiilations. ' Mr Holland fevie'wed the htige lossei on airways, railways, .mines, tlie In ternal Marketing Division and otlier eu terprises socialised by the Labour Go veniment, and said that if Labour wai returned it would lie giving them in structions to continue touard their niu mate aim of the eomplete socialisatiun of tlie means of production, distribution iiul exchange.