NATIONAL PARTY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32310, 8 September 1943, Page 3

NATIONAL PARTY

MR SUTHERLAND SPEAKS CONTEST FOR HAURAKI ATTENTIVE HEARING RECEIVED A comprehensive survey of his party’s proposals should they be returned to power in the election, was given by Mr A. S. Sutherland, National M.P. for Hauraki, when he addressed about forty constituents in the Springdale Hall recently. Mr Sutherland was given an attentive hearing and at the close of his address was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence by acclamation. Mr H. Wagstaff occupied the chair. The policy elaborated included an intensified l war effort, maintaining the fighting divisions by reinforcements and producing at home the supplies which were needed for them and for home-based Allies. Many people thought we were already overcommitted in manpower, said Mr Sutherland, but his party proposed to overcome this by transferring men from nonessential industries into productive work. War finance, the bone of contention which caused Mr Holland to resign from the War 'Cabinet, would be overhauled in order to locate wasteful expenditure—a feature which Mr Sutherland enlarged upon from the Aud-itor-General’s report.

Non-Party Lines A National Government upon nonparty lines such as that of Great Britain was also proposed 1 and Parliament would be freed from the outside domination to which it was at present subjected. The power of trade, unions over Parliament at the present time was nothing short of scandalous. At the same time a pledge was given that social security benefits would be continued and wages would not be cut. The matter of compulsory or voluntary membership of trade unions would be referred back to the workers themselves. Members of Parliament would also (as his party was now) be freed from the obligation to vote in party divisions and would at all times vote as their conscience dictated. A further aspect of Parliamentary reform would be the curtailment of membership of the Upper House. The Labour Party had promised, to abolish this but instead had found accommodation there for a considerable number of it& supporters.

Speaking of taxation, Mr Sutherland said that though this was acknowledged to be necessary in wartime, it was becoming an unbearable burden in New Zealand. Substantial revision should be made and in par-

ticular the burden should be removed from those who themselves created an annuity for their old age to at least the same degree as those who received the age benefits free of tax. Hospital rating should be a charge on the* Social Security Funds and there seemed anomalies which created many hardships in the relationship between the Social Security Department and the Workers’ Compensation payments. Took the Credit “The credit won’t be given to us but we’re going to take it,” said Mr Sutherland in speaking for the rehabilitation of servicemen. He explained that his party had hammered away for a full-time Ministry to be appointed to deal with the vast problems involved. The Government had now appointed a full-time Minister and was seeking a director of this department. “Not relief jobs but steady creative employment for the returned men, j was the policy laid down by the Na- ’ tional Party and adequate pensions were an integral part of the general scheme. So also was progressive land settlement with local advisory committees and the* decentralisation of authority in land questions from Wellington to local land boards. The last-mentioned would greatly expedite settlement of land problems. Land Policy The future of New Zealand depended most of all upon a large number of “prosperous, independent and self-reliant settlers,” and Mr Sutherland held' that the establishment of these was a major part of his party’s programme. The present Government claimed to represent the farmers but actually the only Minister with farming experience was the Minister of Agriculture. Soldier settlement should be carried out under efficient and helpful supervision with local advisory committees of returned men. Before settlements were formed, too, houses, schools, roads and amenities should be provided. For the native race a land scheme could be evolved out of the bringing-in of land's already held by them.

The speaker held that the recentlyintroduced Land Settlement Bill had been unnecessary as ample powers for land settlement had been held previously. Many of the clauses had been a great threat to the property owner, but by vigorous opposition his party had succeeded in making several amendments which should greatly improve matters. , Mr Sutherland also dealt very fully with a general education policy, which included 1 some most necessary bursaries for the .study of veterinary science and many other aspects of a social scheme. Recent Government legislation upon industrial matters was also criticised. Space and time limitations prohibit

a fuller account of the candidate’s remarks, and other aspects will be dealt with when Mr Sutherland speaks later in his campaign. \