NATIONAL PARTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 47, 24 January 1938, Page 9

NATIONAL PARTY

POLICY STATED CONCISELY. ATTITUDE TO LABOUR LAWS. Per,Press Association. AUCKLAND, Jan. 23. The proposed policy of the National Party was concisely summarised by Mr S. G. Holland, Christchurch North, at a largely attended garden party arranged by members of the Tamaki branch of the National Party at St. Heliers. Mr Holland said it was neither possible nor desirable to have a wholesale wiping out of the Labour Party administration. Rates of wages and hours of work would, he said, be left to the decision of a free, unfettered, and uninstructed Arbitration Court, which they did not have to-day. Pensions and annuities would be preserved. Compulsory unionism would have to go and guaranteed prices would be replaced by a system of assured minimums. One of the first acts of the National Party would be to restore to property owners the right of access to their own property and compulsory arbitration would be retained and given sympathetic trial. Youth employment laws would be overhauled, with particular reference to apprenticeship laws. “We stand for private enterprise and private ownership,” said Mr Holland, “and we stand by the thrifty man to see that his property and savings are preserved.” He spoke of the great progress being achieved in the South Island constituencies, referring to the Mataura, Nelson, and Waitaki seats as certainties for the party, and tlie prospects in Mid-Canterbury, Invercargill, Kaiapoi and Oamaru as being very favourable. In criticising the Government for having added 17,000 to the public payroll, he said there were now. 213.000 State employees or pensioners drawing '£27,750,000 annually and those with their dependants _ meant that one in three of the population was now dependent upon the State. Mr W. P. Endean, Remuera, who was the other speaker, said lie had been visiting various parts of the provincial district of Auckland, and he was convinced that the tide was turning in favour of a sane and sensible Government, which would he put on the Treasury benches at the end ot tlie year.