CANDIDATES' ADDRESSES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 83, 5 October 1938, Page 23

CANDIDATES' ADDRESSES

SOME LIVELY MEETINGS

unruliness

THREAT TO FREEDOM

THE LABOUR PARTY

MR. FORBES'S CRITICISM

(By leleffraph—Pre*^ Assui/uittcm >

CHRISTCHURCH, October 4

Declaring that no one would be deceived by "the Labour Government's attempt to thrust its socialistic objective into the background and out of sight of the public," the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, National Party candidate for Hurunui, in an address at Kaiapoi, attacked the Government's policy as un-British and repugnant to the ideals of the British people.

"When it is proposed to bring in a new system of Government one naturally looks around to see if there are any other countries with similar systems and to see just how they fare under them," Mr. Forbes said. "We do not have to look far for examples of the. complete submergence of the individual in the State. Italy, Germany, and Russia have systems of Government under which the State takes complete control of every single activity of its people, which is the avowed intention of the Labour Party in New Zealand. It is not an enticing prospect. We know that in time the State grows to be a cruel tyrant under which there can be none of that freedom which British people have prized for so long. ■

"The trouble is," said Mr. Forbes, "that the machine does not remain in the hands of the people who create it."

He said he did not doubt fchta sincerity of many of the Labour leaders in their belief that it was better to have all the activities of the country under the control of the State. "We say that by doing that they would lose a quality which has been of , great value to this country—the ambition to improve ourselves and those who follow after us. That,' of course, is utterly opposed to socialism.

"Each country has its own peculiarities," Mr. Forbes said. "We are a British nation, and there is no country under British rule in which the Government has tried to step in and take full control of all the activities of the people. Independence of spirit and; freedom have enabled the British n&iion to become a power in the worleLH*-In a British country the individual 'has a freedom which he is allowedl in no other. To some peoples it' is second nature to have every action regulated; a Britisher is impatient of regulation.

"The Prime Minister has pointed out in. the. House how far the Government has progressed towards Socialism, and we know that we have a Government committed to going the whole journey. I do not believe that a system under which the enterprise and industry of the people will not be able to assert themselves will be acceptable to a British community, arid I am sure that the people of this country will not take it lying down."

Last night was again a busy time for election candidates, who are all making the most of the brief time remaining before the end of next week. There were a few cases of disturbance 8 by opponents of the speakers, and some arrests Avere made, and in this matter the police have repeated their warning against excessive