NATIONAL MORALE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20028, 29 August 1939, Page 14

NATIONAL MORALE

CAUSE OF FREEDOM MR. HAMILTON'S APPEAL DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, last night. “Because we believe that Socialist principles will undermine and are undermining the morale of our people*, particularly some of our young people, we are rallying to fight for the cause of British freedom and fair play in New Zealand,” said the Hon. .A. Hamilton in an address read last night ‘at tile opening of the new premises of the Canterbury Nationalist Club. “If there is one thing a crisis brings home to us, it is the realisation of the importance of maintaining in our people a healthy national morale the ability to stand up to a test —in which the ‘basic feature is a desire to defend the principles for which we stand, the principles of democratic liberty enjoyed throughout the British Empire,” continued Mr. Hamilton.

Basis of British Morale

“The morale of the British people in the past has been built on the basis of joy of work, satisfaction with a job well done, thrift without meanness, individual resourcefulness combined and happily blended with neighbourliness. To-day we must continue on an equally sound basis. “It is essential that more and more earnest interest should be taken lit the business of government. That cannot be emphasised too much. Tlie greatest danger in democracy is that a false catch cry from a false phophet promising a paradise and capitalising difficulties shall lead an unthinking majority into selling and betraying their birthright. All our strivings should be aimed at one thing, the improvement of the general standard of living to protect the individual.

“In individual initiative is the generation of improvement and progress in both the social and economic system, and in private property lies an essential to the sure basis of either social security or independence.” Function of Government Mr. Hamilton stated that New Zealand had to depend on her export trade. Economic nationalism would be disastrous. Nationalisation could not do anything but depress the standard of living. An industry run independently of Government control was better and should be more efficient than one nationalised, and the, principal object of good government should ibe to create or protect the circumstances in which private enterprise could operate most successfully. It was along these lines that the problems of the day must be tackled. “We are celebrating to-night a milestone in tlie progress of the National Party in Canterbury with the opening of this magnificent club,” stated Mr. Hamilton. “It is a demonstration of the strength and progress and purposefulness of the National Party and the messages it inspires will have its effect throughout the Dominion.” In the absence of Mr. Hamilton the club was declared open by Mr. S. C. Holland, M.P.