IMPORT CONTROL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 December 1939, Page 4

IMPORT CONTROL

AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH MR SAVAGE’S BROADCAST. < INCOMES AND PURCHASING POWER. ) (By Telegraph—Press Association.) 1 WELLINGTON, This Day. t “In spite of temporary commercial i difficulties, New Zealand is still a land • of enviable freedom and progress." I said the Prime Minister, Mr Savage. ■ in a broadcast address last night from his home in Northland. This was the ■ second of his series of talks over the ' air on current New Zealand problems. • Exchange control and import restric--1 tions were also discussed by the Prime Minister, who claimed that the alternative to the Government’s policy was a reduction in the purchasing power of ; the community. "My sole aim is to secure the goodwill and full co-operation of the people so that we all may give our best efforts in the days—perhaps the years —of the emergencies and demands of war," said Mr Savage. “Do not be misled by subversive propaganda, whether it comes from the left or the right. We are fighting’ for our lives as well as for the lives of generations to come. The. democratic system is on trial, and only by unity on the part of those striving for it can it be saved. And I say plainly, that, in spite of temporary commercial difficulties. New Zealand is still a land of enviable freedom and progress. "It has to be noticed that bold words and incautious criticism about some of New Zealand problems are the order ■of the day. There is, for instance, the so-called problem of maintaining freedom of speech. It is idle talk. There is no problem. Members of the Opposition have been valiant in insisting on their right, and the right of others as well to criticise the Government with the utmost freedom. Such a claim looks well on paper and sounds impressive in political argument, but it rather ignores the plain law that members of Parliament are just like other people, and must obey the law —no more and no less." “As for the Press," Mr Savage observed in a later passage of his broadcast, “it claims to stand for freedom and the rights of democracy. If it expects its claim to be supported it must be true to its own best traditions. The Government has no desire to gag the Press, and has no intention of gagging the Press. But the Government must insist upon recognition of the fact that the freedom of the Press does not mean freedom to ignore the principles of fairness or give prominence to baseless rumour that will strike a blow at the very heart of the nation, itself.’ In discussing exchange control tne Premier said it appeared to him that if we were to order from abroad only what we could pay for, there was only one alternative to control of imports; that was reduction of the the purchasing power of the people of New Zealand. "That was done on a previous occasion and everyone knows the result," he continued. "Some well-mean-ing people have suggested letting exchange find its own level, but that would be the same as a reduction in purchasing power. Reducing purchasing power appears to me to be a curious way of helping importers and shopkeepers. “In any case if that method is adopted it should mean reduction all round —wages, guaranteed prices, pensions. That would automatically control imports as the people would have less money to spend and, therefore, the same amount of imports would not be necessary. But is that the way to prosperity? Do the shop assistants know, that they are asking for a reduction in th.eir own and everyone else’s wages and pensions? If that is carried into effect how will it help anyone? "Are the farmers aware that they, too. are asking for a reduction in their incomes. They will surely not say that other people's incomes should, or indeed could, be reduced without interfering with the incomes of farmers. The farmer's prosperity cannot be separated from the prosperity of everyone else in New Zealand. The experience of depression metnods a few years ago should remind the farmer that he gained nothing when large sections of the community were- reduced to poverty."