LIBERTY MUST BE RESTORED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 56, 29 November 1937, Page 7

LIBERTY MUST BE RESTORED

National Party Confident of Victory ADDRESS AT OTANE "When the National Government was faced with tTie slump we had to reduce the people^s wages, to impose unpleqsant taxes, such as the saies tax," Colonel Hargest told an audience of about 200 at Otane . on Saturday night. "But," he added, "wo tried to foree down the cost of living at the same tiine. We reduced a man's wages. but we also reduced his bank rate of interest, that is for overdrafts, from 7£ per cent. to 4 per cent. Tho Government's linancial position was serious. For land tax alone £5,000,000 was owing to tho- Government. With income tax the position was siiiiilar. "Other Governments abroad had the same difficulties' to face, and gome of them, .notably those of Australia and Great Britain (both Labour Governments) neariy ruined their countries. ln 1934 we were able to restore the wages and pensions partially> and in 1935 we restored them further. When the Labour Government caiue into power every Government department had monetary resources, and. not one was in difficulties. Tliey say they took over a bankrupt country. They did not." An interjector : Would you do thoso same things again P Colonel Hargest: We might, and we raiglit not, depending on the circumstances. It we could have fureseen that the slump would end as soon as it did, then we would not have have some of the things jve did do. "i'll maae a bet with you now," added Colenel Hargest to the lmerjector, "that the Labour Government would not have the courage to economise and introduce unpleasant legislation, as we did, if faced With similai conuition. They will either refuse to do it, or give up office as Mr. Lang did in Austrana. Yv e are sangume that jve are going to take office again next yeay, but we know we'll lieed all the courage it is possible to have, for there'll be u tembie rness to ciear up." The National Party's main plank at the nekt election, said the speaker, would be the restoration of. people' s liberty. They would aim to let the people do what they liked, as long as they did not expioit their fellow xneu aua kept within the law. "Liberty to-day is fast diminishing," he said. "Soon I shall not be aole to say what I want t,o say over the air 0r tnrough the newspaper columiis. These are the measures.they adopted in Bussia. There is not the liberty here that there is in Austraiia or Canada. "A broadcastmg service that is the height of extravagance has been built up," continued the speaker. "State housing is the same. Parliament has no control. We know what these are costing but we are not allowed to know where they are getting the money from to do it." New South Wales, under a National Government has reduced its taxation and brought its unemployed down to negligible numbers, while ours remained at 38,000, with 19,000 of these men on. sustenance, costing the country £2,500,000 a year, when at the «ame time a shortage of labour existed. "Money from New Zealand is pouring into Australia, where industries ar© booming,5, said Colonel Hargest. "Backed by this New Zealand capital, Australian manufacturers are sending goods back here to compete with our own manufactures. Did you ever hear of anything like it?" "Twq years ago to-day we were thoroughly thrashed at the polls," said Colonel Hargest. "Immediately after our defeat the remnants of our party held a caucus in Wellington and it was then realised that there must have been a real reason for the election result. We realised a change was necessary and the following May a new party was formed. We have kept the management of the party outside of Parliament as far as possible and yre have made the seleetion of electorate eandidates the sole responsibility of the people of the constituency. When our policy is made known it will be found to be the product of opinions from all the electorates." The meeting was presided over by Mr. Albert Jull, junr., who introduced Colonel Hargest as "one of the small band of stalwarts fighting our battles in the House." At tho conclusion of the address, the speaker answered a number of questions, after which a vote of thanks was moved by the chairman, seconded by Mr. J, H. August, and carried by aeclamation.