NATIONAL PARTY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32300, 16 August 1943, Page 5

NATIONAL PARTY

meeting held in paeroa ADDRESS BY MR W. CLARK CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT A meeting of friends and supporters of the Paeroa branch of the New Zealand National Party was held in the Parish Hall, Paeroa, on Friday night, Mr W. F. Johnstone presiding. The party’s candidate for the Thames electorate, Mr W. A. Clark, was also present.

In addressing the meeting, Mr Clark said the reason he was standing was in the interests of better Government —he was not satisfied with the-way affairs were being conducted to-day. The public at present held the House of Representatives m rather low esteem and in fact many had lost interest altogether in Parliamentary debates.

The Labour Party had not fulfilled the promises it had made, before it had gained power in 1935.

Referring to radio he qhoted from the “Thames Elector” published in 1935 by the Labour Party. They had complained of the manner in which the Government was controlling the radio but what was the Government doing with radio to-day. There was he contended, hardly a day or a broadcast which was not propaganda on behalf of the Labour Party.

Continuing, Mr Clark said that personally he did not think it right for the country to fight an election during wartime but the present Government had not wanted the National Party and had not been prepared to co-operate and this had resulted in the election being held. Land Settlement Mr Clark dealt with land settlement and rehabilitation, criticising the policy of the Labour 'Government in this matter. He urged that the freehold should be granted to returned soldiers. It was in the best interests of all that the person should own his own home or farm. He pointed to ex- . amples of leasehold to prove his point. ( Farmers with leasehold land did not give it the same attention as the man who owned his own farm. He touched on the present Land Settlement Bill and criticised it very severely. He pointed out that under f. this Bill our freedom was gradually being taken away from the people. New Zealand had been built up to the place it held to-day by free enterprise and many thinking people were very concerned at the manner in which this freedom was being taken away to-day; The country in the past few years had had too much class legislation arid the farmer and the businessman had suffered and received little sympathy. The present heads of the Government were always objecting to criticism of the actions of certain organised workers. These people were not the only workers in the country. Every person in New Zealand was a worker and - organised labour could not claim to 'be the only workers. referred to the statement by Mr J/Fletcher, commissioner of Defence Production that the workers were losing their pride in their craft. Mr z Fletcher had •stated that there was a definite fall in production in the output per man. This was due to the fact that too many workers were watching the clock and thinking only of the wages at the end of the week. All Must .Work If New Zealand desired to retain its standing of living all must work afe it was only by work that the present standard could be held. Dealing with rehabilitation Mr Clark said that this was one of the most important tasks .facing the Government to-day. Already many were back and had been settled back in civil life but few had gone on the land. Only 61 had gone on to the land «ut of some IQ,GOO returned. The present Government was not encouraging land settlement. * . Not enough was being done to be ready to provide houses, etc., for the men at present serving, in the forces and if these men came back suddenly nothing would be ready for them. He contended the Government had fallen down on the job. He pointed out that the Government had asked local bodies to formulate schemes to absorb returned servicemen but this meant that it would make them all merely labourers. Men who had been fighting for the country deserved better treatment than being made merely labourers when they re- • turned home. In his opinion the Government had • Made a muddle of the manpower question. Too many men had gone into

the services and now there was no manpower to build the homes which the returning servicemen would need. Stand for Private Enterprise In showing the difference between the National Party and the Labour Party Mr Clark said the present Government aimed at State control while the National Party stood for private enterprise., He instanced the high cost of fruit and vegetables handled by the Internal Marketing Department. The National Party stood for private enterprise with -State supervision. The National Party would not stand for any private enterprise exploiting the general public. In conclusion, Mr Clark said he was pleased to be a member of the National Party, which, in his opinion, would, with its policy, give New Zealand a new lease of life. A number of questions were asked and answered at the conclusion of the meeting which closed with a vote of thanks to Mr Clark for his address.