MR. MAHER ON WAR PATH

Chronicle (Levin), 10 November 1949, Page 4

MR. MAHER ON WAR PATH

Tirade Against Controls And Alleged Intimidation A tirade against controls and trenchant criticiism of the Labour Govemment was made by Mr. J. J. Maher, M.P., National candldate for Otaki, when addressing some 180 e.ectors in the Regent Hall, Levin, last night. . v t The Labour Party, said Mr. Maher, was attempting to frighten the people by saying that if the National Part.y became the Government the country would see a depression again. They were resurrecting that old grey mare they had ridden on for so many years. It was a gambler's last throw, he a'dded. ♦ "I believe the Labour Government will go out. It will be a 1935 in reverse — a real landslide. The people are not going to be frightened into anything, neither wili they be intimidated. They all come from good British stock and are fed up with. -controls." Nonsense! It did not say much for the Labour Government which had always boasted about its consolidation of the affairs of the country if a depression could upset it in a few days, a few hours, c-ontinued Mr. Maher. The Prime Minister 'ha'd said in Auckland that "if you elect those monsters — those Tories, all that the Labour Government has given you will vanish ovemight." That was nonsense, declared Mr. Maher. There were just as many tender hearts on the Opposition side of the House. The Labour Government was trying to win the election by endeavouring to instil fear into everyone. Those were their taetics. Miss Howard and Mr. Mathieson had said in effect that if the National Party gained power all sorts of trouble would be stacked up for them. That was a most serious thing for Ministers of the Crown to say. They were trying to intimidate the people. The issue this election was whether the people wanted ultimate soeialism or the old system of private enterprise, said Mr. Maher. The ' people -should consider this well, recalling at the same time

the controls of 14 years. The Labour Government had been given a fair trial and had been found wanting. "Compare Mr. Fraser's audience and policy with that of Mr. Holland's," he said. Mr. Holland's meetings had been packed to the doors. This indicated that the people realised and the Government, too, that Labour's sands were running out. In a tirade against controls, Mr. Maher said: "Remove them all; they are making the people dishonest." A magistrate in Auckland had said that if bad laws were passed and the people -ftould not obey them it was demoralising to the' rest c " the country. Politicai Bribe. Now that it was only a few weeks until the electi'ons, the people were told they could have cement, but they srill had to submit plans of their whole house and grounds to get a little path made. There was a promise of more pqtrol, too. "It is nothing •but a politicai bribe to influence votes." It reminded him of the spider and fly nui^ery rhyme, but on November 30 the Government was hoping to have the people back into its webb. "There was full and plenty of everything before this Government took over," continued the speaker. "We were only short of one thing and that was strikes. There was a fairly big strike in 1912, but that was settied and there were very few afterwards. There were plenty of people in Australia who saw what a good country New Zealand was and they 'canie here to sow seeds of dissension. Most of them are in the front benches of the Government today. "The Government today did not seerri- able to stop strikes. " The sky is dark with those hoards of socialistic chickens coming home to roost." The Government claimed that" it was responsjble for the planting out of the exotic timbers, but that was something they really could not claim. It took 25 to 30 years for such timber to reach maturity and the Government had not been in power that long. rf''he Government had claimed that it had lifted New Zealand put of the slunip, but it had been the primary producers of the country who had done this. "The Government just rode to power on the people's sufferings. If they Tia.ve a remedy for slumps as they claim,. why don't they give it to their socialistic friends in Britain. They are in a spot of bother. They are reducing England to a third rate power. Soeialism can't work because socialists won't work," added the speaker. Commenting on State house al-

locations, Mr. Maher said that his party would make sure that the ones who were deserving cases received priority. "Here in Levin you had to have your houses allocated from Palmerston North. What did they loiow about it?" Now you have an allocation committee in Levin and I am pleased to see that its chairman is your worthy Mayor. He and I have worked close together in getting houses for people here." The company of New Zealand was like any business. It required men at its head who knew business and business methods. If the directors of a company continually siiowed losses, then the directors should be changed. New Zealand wanted a change oi directors. "We have 110 potatoes in the country today. That proves conclusively that they are bad managers and muddlers. They will teil you all sorts of things, but they cannot tell you that you have potatoes when you know you haven't any." Mr. Ma'her said that his party had no intention of interfering with the 40 hour weeli, but would give the people the incentive to work harder and longer of their own accord, Nor would social seeurity or wages be interfered with. " "We will make social seeurity more' secure and encourage more production. I say we will have to reduce taxation to give the people the incentive to pro-. duce. Increasing production would have the effect of reducing taxation in that ther-e would be a greater volume of produce over which to spread taxation." At the conclusion of his address, which lasted two hours, Mr. Maher was accorded a vote of tha-nks and confidence, moved hy Mr. RDenton and passed to the singing' of "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow." Mr. Maher was well received and there were no interjections. . 18