FREE ENTERPRISE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 18, 14 October 1937, Page 9

FREE ENTERPRISE

Young New Zealanders' Associaiion NATION-WIDE M0VEMENT In a manifesto, the Young New Zealanders' Association "for the freedom of enterprise" states that its movemeut has been organised for tlie purpose of educating the yoiing men of the country, especially those engaging in business careers, in sound principles of government. The association is not allied to any politi.cal party, and does not propose to itmction as such, being solely coneerned with legislative tendencies which touch upon present conditions and the future prosperity of the young men of New Zealand. "In recent years," states the manifesto, "the people of New Zealand have made it clear that they want a Goverximent with a definite policy. Perhaps this is why the present Government succeeded at the last election. The Labour Party certainly had a policy. but few people stopped to consider whether it was good or bad. The popular outlook at that time was — lot's do spmotaiug. "People to-day reaiise that the objective of the Laoour Government is the eomplete soeialisation of New Zealand, and that they were influenced in their actions at the last election by the attractiveness of a political programmo rather than by the soundness of the principles for whieh the party they supported stood. Back to Sound Principles. ' ' To-day there is a general cry throughout New Zealand for a political policy that will provide a sound alternative to the policy of the present Government. There is a national danger •in this position in that the people of New Zealand may once again judge whatever policy iis put forward according to its attractiveness rather than according to the soundness of the principles under lying that 'policy. It may, therefore, serve some useful purpose to discuss here a few of the fundamental principles it is necessary to embody in any political policy which is designed to atop the present trend toward Btate control of individual liberty and national enterprise. » i 'For a country to be prosperous, its people must be free, and therefore tn« first fundamental principle; involved in building political policy is the freedom of the individual. In this conuection it must be refilised that the proper function of the State is to serve the people, not to force the people to serve the State. "This first consideration, the freedom of the individual, is dependent on the preservation of democraey, and perhaps democracy can best be defined as that form of Government which is exemplified by the constitution of Great Britain an'd its principal institutions, "It .is generally acknowledged that the cotttinued strength of -British democraey is due in a. large.measure to the •lhfluen^e of the British f- Crown, and therefore any political policy to be successful in a British cbuntiy, such as New Zealand, must seek to fosster loyalty to the King and unity and development within the Empixe. , Three Eundamentals ' fSo that the three fundamental. principles already mentioned may he adequately emphasised, let us now briefly describe them in the order in which they have been introduced; 1. The preservation of the freedom * of the individual regulated on the principle that the State is for the people and not tbo people for the State. 2. The preservation of democracy as exemplied by the Constitution of Great Britain and its principal institutions. 3. Individual loyalty to the King and co'-operation within tho British Empire. "To bring about a healthy and pros-' perous condition in* a country it is essential that its people should be encouraged to apply their enterprise and enefgy tbward the development of industry and commerce. It is likewiss essential that the individual should be permitted to profit according to the mental or physical energy and ability he applies to the task in hand. fIn briefj we might summarise these fundamental principles as follows:--1. Freedom of enterprise. 1 2. The right of the individual to profit from his personal enterprise and to retain wealth created thereby. 3. Recognition of the right of the community as a whole to pro- ' tection against exploitation by individuals or groups of individuals. Essentials of Prosperity. ' ' Pinally, there are two fundamental principles of policy which must also be dealt with. The first is coneerned with that setcion of the community comprising those people who, through no fault of. their own," cannot provide for themselves. It must be the responsibility of the State to make proper provision for such people, and in this connection, as in the case of all social services, the regulating infiuence must be the capacity of the country to pa y. "It will be rocognised that not only in the case of so'cial services, but also in any part played by the State in the development of New Zealand, the question of finance is all important. It is a big question and cannot be dealt with here, but it will perhaps serve some useful purpose to state the fundamental principle should should infiuence any financepoliey — and that is just this: expenditure by the State should be regulated by a proper regard to the fulfilment of its nltimate obligations. "No doubt there are fundamental principals other tlian those outliuod here, but our immediate purpose is to draw attention to the need for electors in New Zealand to be coneerned with principles of policy rather than witli details of a political programmo. The person .who has the advant.age oJt ti sound moral upbringing can usually

be depended upon to produce a reeord of honest achievemoDt, and in like manner the political party which bases its programmo on sound and tried prinof progress and suceess." ciples will establish for itself a reeord