POLITICAL ACTION FORESHADOWED

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 184, 1 May 1940, Page 11

POLITICAL ACTION FORESHADOWED

The People’s Movement OBJECTS OF POLICY OUTLINED Opposition To Socialism Declaring that the movement was not satisfied with the record of either the Government or the Nationalist Party, because of its Socialistic trend, the Dominion president of the People’s Movement, Mr. E. R. Toop, Wellington, in an address to supporters in the Town Hall, Wellington, last night, announced that if there was no alteration in personnel, constitution and policy of the existing parties the movement would not hesitate place its whole organization and candidates into the political arena to oppose them. Admittance to the Town Hall was by ticket, and there was an attendance of approximately 3000. Mr, • .*. Wellington, presided. In tlddltl °“ Mr. Toop, the speakers were. Mr. 11. L. Blyde, Taranaki, vice-president ofl th New Zealand Farmers Union, who, however, emphasized that' I ? e ,^ as ll P j ent purely as “Harry Blyde,. dairy farmer”; and Mrs. J. B. Campbell. Hawke's Bay. At the close a mo on thanking the speakers and determination to support the movement in its stand for democratic and commonsense government was carried, thorp ibeinjr a. few dissentients, '“ite closed “Land of Hope and Glory and the National Anthem. Constructive Approach. "Before I conclude, I think you will see that our objective and our reason for this meeting tonight is not to giv ‘hell’ to anybody, but by constructive and common sense approach to our problems, to save us all from the hell of bureaucratic Socialism and the suffering that it will entail,” Mr. loop “In determining our further action in relation to the war situation we considered it more than ever necessary to continue toward our purpose of a unified New Zealand and the banishment of these doubts and uncertainties, that nothing might preclude, as we fear it does today, every citizen giving that assistance and making those sacrifices necessary to the successful carrying out of our duty to our country and Empire. Let the politicians call a truce. We say there can be no truce with irresponsible forces that might well destroy or impair the liberties for which we fight. “We told you previously that there was no need to accept the idea of the inevitability of Socialism; on the contrary that from a basis of sound common sense we would present a line of action that would maintain for us all 1 those things we hold dear and give to the community opportunity to have a high standard of living without the socialistic necessity of sacrificing the personal liberties and freedom whicn have been handed down from the days of Magna Carta. Who will talk to us r of tbe inevitability of Socialism when the history of the ages show us only too well that Socialism is no new idea? It has been tried again and again, and the nations that tried it have decayed and gone, as every nation must go which follows the disintegrating and materialistic aims of Socialism. British Democracy. “By British democracy we mean that system of government which is peculiar to our Empire and community of nations, a system that necessarily defines and confines our individual freedom yet at all times gives us free access to the courts of the laud in the protection of our liberties,” Mr. Toop said. “British democracy is uot understood, it is violated, when a Government takes unto itself the right of final decision in matters of personal liberty and right to private property. "When we refer to Christian democracy let no one think we would attempt to misuse this term, or yet use it in any way as a cloak for political ambition. But we believe that fundamentally Christianity requires freedom for the individual, and we believe that control and regimentation are contrary to its concepts. “I say emphatically that the fundamental conception of democracy is in danger of being lost in this country, not only because of the particular political party that is in power, not only because of tbe weakening of democratic institutions, but also, and chiefly, because we as individual citizens have Jost our sense of direction. We have not -been clear in our own ideals of democracy and our part in it. Instead of basing our thoughts and actions on principles, we have allowed conflicting ideas to confuse our minds and have accepted apathetically legislation that ignores these principles. Individual Liberty. “We are not satisfied with the Socialistic record of either the Government or the Nationalist Party,” Mr. 'Toop continued. . “We will support a party that will conform to British democratic principles which conserve our individual liberty and a party that will place a policy possible of being implemented before the electors and a party that will legislate in the interests of all tbe people. If there is no alteration in personnel, constitution and policy of the existing parties, we will not hesitate to place our whole organization and candidates into the political arena to oppose them. “A majority of the electors of New Zealand are not definitely allied to any political party and they are swayed at election time by (1) The conditions In the country, (2) The candidate’s qualifications, (3) The policies put forward. It is this huge body of electors who tell the story for victory or defeat at elections. There are thousands of. dissatisfied National supporters today. They cannot vote Labour, but they would vote for a. middle party. There are thousands of dissatisfied Labour supporters. They will not vote National, but they will vote for a middle parly. Because this is true, a third' middle party at tbe next elections will have a greater chance of success than cither of the present parlies. The selfishness of those who try to frighten the electors with the split-vote bogey is lieyond belief. “We must have a buffer party between the two extremes. It is within your province to say whether that buffer party is to be Mr. Lee’s party or a safe, sane and commonsense middle party. Sound Cominoiiseiisc. "Quite frankly we do not believe in ‘isms.' We do not dogmatically believe in conservatism, capitalism, and still less in Socialism, Communism,

State-ism, Social Credit, currency manipulation, or any such theory of Government.

"We believe that we can base our objectives just on sound commonsense. In tbe first place we do not believe that any single one of these methods or theories contains all the requirements to fulfil our objectives. Not one of them holds all the truth, but we are prepared to accept that each may hold some truth. “Fundamentally we believe that the less control and restriction, the greater will be the efficiency of tbe nation, the less interference with individual liberty the higher our culture, our spiritual and material welfare. Nevertheless if tbe State can achieve an objective better than an individual, by all means let us have State-ism. If tbe individual can work or contribute better as a private employer, or employee, then let us have in that respect what is called capitalism. Here I might mention my belief that actuated by a true self, as against selfish interests, the individual must of necessity serve the best interests of all. Conversely if our industries and activities are actuated by Government and party interests they can only serve the interests of a bureaucracy to the detriment of national interests. Taxation Burden. “Taxation, as you well know, has reached the highest point in our history ” Mr. Toop said. “Debt is mounting similarly. The war, of course, will in part, but in part only, be the cause of still further burdens on the people, but"surely you must agree that tbe prewar basis of taxation and debt was already in excess of what should be within our reasonable capacity to pay. Let no one be under any misapprehension as to who pays. One man might write a cheque and think he pays, but in truth the people pay. The Governmen knows this. It knows that the law of diminishing returns is beginning to apply, and it must, and is, exploiting every possible avenue to make up such differences. . “If the two present parties, insist that they alone have the sole right to represent the people, that there must be no third party, and if they do not move actively to reconstruct the system which has grown up under both of them, our ultimate plunge and immersion in totalitarianism is absolutely certain. . ' “We exist as a political organization, fully determined to use our weight and our influence to bring about those changes which we, as a people, deem necessary. We intend to mobilize public opinion, for public opinion alone has the authority to validate policy. If we are convinced that those changes can best be made, or can be made only bv our own direct action, we shall not hesitate to put a political party in the field to do so. . Government of the People. “We want a Government of the people, by the people, for all the people. The principles for which our men are fighting overseas, we will fight to see maintained intact in this country. It is a solemn duty to them, to ourselves, and to the generations yet to come. “The obvious flow in our economic and financial system is a rise in public expenditure without a corresponding rise in the means of providing it. Any financial policy to balance this must; “(1) Restore the balance between State and private expenditure.. “(2) Return men from State employment to private employment. "(3) Curtail drastically expenditure on non-productive and luxury schemes and at the same time apply that effort and expenditure to productive effort. “(4) Co-ordinate public works policy on a businesslike basis; institute a national development scheme planned and financed to fit in with the economic condition of the country and the requirements of the people. “(5) Insist on the greatest possible efficiency in aU departments and industry. „ . “(6) In consequence of tbe savings of the foregoing alm to reduce taxation. . , “ (7) Restore public and financial confidence by removing the threat of possible emergency measures due to the existing conditions. “(8) Restore London funds by the restoration of confidence. (9) Encourage private investment for national development, thus removing a burden firom .State expenditure. (10) Arrange reciprocal agreements with Great Britain by regularizing our telabiong with her,” Mr. Toop concluded. Fanners’ Point of View. Mr. Blyde said he was definitely interested in the People’s Movement. He felt that the business people of tbe towns had been really responsible, by their apathy in the past, for the necessity for the movement today. It did not pay to be only interested in golf and bridge. It would pay people to study affairs and play their part in building up the nation. “Our only salvation lies in getting together,” Air. Blyde said. "A lot of you think that the dairy-farmer today is on the pig’s Ixick with the guaranteed price. But the higher costs that have come about by Socialism have put the farmer in a position where he is worse off than before.” This socialization, this 40-hour week, Mr. Blyde said, had made it impossible for the dairy-farmer to get adequate suitable labour. The effect of all that had been a drop in production. _Since the advent of the guaranteed price there had been a consistent drop in dairy production till this season when, mainly because of climatic conditions, there had been a slight return. A drop in exports meant a drop in the standard of living of everyone.

Mr. Blyde concluded by wishing the movement every success.