PREMIER AT NAPIER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 September 1943, Page 3

PREMIER AT NAPIER

—i GIVEN ATTENTIVE HEARING. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) NAPIER, This Day. The Prime Minister addressed a public meeting last evening and is leaving thi« morning for New Plymouth. He was accorded an attentive hearing, there being only one interjection throughout the whole evening. His remarks followed the lines of his Wellington address —a review of Labour s efforts during the past eight years. would have said it was an impossibility; yet, when needed, the money was found. If money could be found to destroy life and property, it could create prosperity. • The people asked if a country could have debts,without want, misery and unemployment. War had taught us, as never before, our capacity to produce. The desire to consume was already there, so all that was needed was the intelligence to organise work and production. MANPOWER COMMITMENTS. “Unquestionably we are over-com-mitted both militarily and industrially, and our manpower resources have been drained beyond all reason,” said Mr Holland. “It is utterly impossible on our population to maintain two combat Divisions overseas, the equivalent of two more divisions in the Air Force and Navy, and about another division on home defence, also to vastly increase our production from both farm and factory.” Mr Holland stated that after such long service men on furlough should be given the option of voluntarily returning to the Division or returning to civil employment. There were plenty of fit men in New Zealand who had seen no service who could replace them. Emphasising that he had consistently advocated the dropping of party politics so that the country could get on with the war, Mr Holland said the National Party, if elected, would endeavour to form a truly national nonparty government of the best men regardless of party. There would be only three simple conditions —a full war effort in every field, no contentious legislation and no outside domination. PROVISION OF HOMES. Homes, he said, were a national asset. There was no better investment or contribution to human happiness. All the resources were available because 95 per cent, of the materials used in home-building were in New Zealand and the manpower and finance was all local. The problem was trained manpower, but New Zealanders had proved themselves wonderfully adaptable in training for the arts of war, and they could also be trained in the arts of peace. Housing costs were too high; they could be reduced without cutting wages. Experts had presented reports showing that houses could be built by private enterprise for £lOO less, and as the sales tax on building materials was to be abolished under the party’s policy, a reduction of £2OO on the cost of each house would result. Directing everything to family life, the National Party would begin by building homes. The quality of the race depended on the quality of the homes in which it was nurtured. Anyone who studied the vital statistics must be alarmed at the drift in the birth-rate. The causes were partly financial, partly in housing difficulty and partly in the problem of getting help for mothers in the home. WAR EXPENDITURE & WASTE. Speaking of war expenditure, Mr. Holland said millions of pounds could be saved by an overhaul of the system. The Auditor-General’s report had disclosed deplorable conditions. There was an utter absence of business methods in many departments. Everybody agreed that this was wrong, but courage to face up to it was nissing. The public had no idea of what was going on. More than half the war expenses were being met from loans, and soldiers would have to meet these costs when they returned. It was also high time for an overhaul of Parliament. A total of 120 in the General Assembly was absurd. The Leislative Council now did nothing, and his party would reduce its numbers or abolish it. To attract the best men for the gigantic problems ahead, the remuneration of Parliamentarians would be revised and a superannuation scheme introduced.