OPPOSITION LEADER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 September 1943, Page 4

OPPOSITION LEADER

ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION IN MASTERTON NATIONAL PARTY POLICY OUTLINED. ADDRESS AT MASONIC HALL. An enthusiastic reception was given to Mr S. G. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, when he delivered a political address in the Masonic Hall, Masterton, this morning. The Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, presided. Mr G. H. Mackley, National Party candidate for the Masterton .seat, was present on the platform. The hall was -crowded to capacity. Loud speakers were installed to allow the overflow audience to follow the address.

Mr Holland was received with rounds of applause and cheers when he entered the hall. When he rose to speak the audience sang: “For He's a Jolly Good Fellow” and cheered.

w Mr Holland, said Jie was deeply ie touched by the reception given to w him. He recalled the happy experience y he had had in Masterton and the Wai‘k rarapa when he was on leave in 1916. ‘ e He was on the beginning of a very "S. hurried tour of the Dominion. The y2 people of New Zealand were becoming conscious of the fact that the Government exerted a profound influence over ' v every man, woman and child in the P country. People were realising that 10 their personal interests were dwindling v away. People were realising that in ie time of peril they had in office a Government. using its war programme to J 1 implement nationalisation and a socialisation programme. The people realised that they got the government they 3S desired. If they wanted a good government they had to work to get that government. He was pleased to have present Mr Mackley, the Masterton candidate. If elected, he would discharge his duty with every satisfaction. Unless busy business people changed their ways and found time to interest themselves in the country’s affairs they would find they would have no business . at all to attend to. Referring to the present system of filling in forms for everything as a bureaucratic system, Mr Holland said farmers, industrialists and others were being told how to run their businesses. ; “DICTATOR METHODS.” Mr Holland said dictator methods had put some business people out of . business. From every part of New - Zealand he had received the greatest 1 encouragement and endorsement of the r policy he had' outlined at Christchurch. :i He believed that policy would contri:l bute something worth while to New i Zealand. He knew the sort of tactics •. that would be employed in the election campagin. People in New Zealand j took a healthy interest in their public f men. There was a growing desire that . 7 native-born New Zealanders should 1 play a more important part in the Gov--3 ernment of New Zealand. (Applause). There was nothing he was more . keen about than that everyone should ■ enjoy happiness in freedom. PROFIT-SHARING SCHEME.

In his own business he had practised what he preached. He had come back to New Zealand some years ago con- ’ vinced that there were some things that could be done to improve the lot of the working men. Fifteen years ago

he devised a scheme of employment whereby his employees would share the profits—one-third of the total. The firm got one-third and the public the other third. It was an incentive to make good, it had increased the wages of their men and lowered the prices of their goods. The effect had been that they had better quality goods, which i were cheaper and the workers were happier. In 1935 he was elected to Parliament and all knew his record ' since then. INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS VITAL. Industrial 1 progress in New Zealand was vital to the interests of the people, individually and collectively and there could be no progress if employer and employee were pulling against each other, said Mr Holland. In New Zealand they had had a rather sorry experience in industrial relations. The Government had turned a blind eye to the causes of these troubles. The National Party proposed setting up an Industrial Harmony Bureau, consisting of workers and employers. He condemned the activities of people who had come to New Zealand in stirring up industrial trouble. He believed such a bureau would establish better relations and harmony. It was important to have safeguards to protect the worker against the scrupulous employer. He had nothing in common with the grabbing employer to whom money was a god, or did he have anything in common with the unscrupulous worker. He believed in unionism and the National Party proposed to give the workers the right to determine that matter for themselves. UNFOUNDED FEARS. Mr Holland said that broadly speaking his party’s policy might be summarised under five headings: Work for all; a planned attack on the causes of want; the restoration of personal freedom; justice to the parents of families and the building of homes for the people to own. There were many who were desirous of a change of government, but they were frightened as a result of propaganda, that they would go back to the conditions of 1930-1935. They were frightened of jumping from the fat into the fire. Mr Churchill and Mr Roosevelt had declared that the collapse of the economic structure would never be allowed to happen again. The sacrifices of the men overseas would not be in vain. Although Cabinet Ministers referred to the regimentation in England and America due to the Avar, they Avere strangely silent on utterances by Mr Churchill and Mr Roosevelt that it was not desirable that a state of affairs should come about in Avhich there Avas no reward for thrift and enterprise was not rewarded. An international set-up would ensure /that the economic structure could not again collapse. For Ncav Zealand the future was very bright, and under private enterprise the country Avould fol- : loav the road of progress. The National Party, Mr Holland said, Avas making full provision for rehabili- ; tation. j HOUSING POLICY. Speaking of the building of State , houses, Mr Holland said that in 1940, 1 at peak, 8,100 houses were built in

New Zealand, but half of those were built by private enterprise. There was a gap between the skilled and the unskilled labourers. Workmen were imported from Australia and Scotland to build houses when there Avere 20,000 men on public works and 10,000 men on Scheme 13, where they were sweeping up leaves and praying for more wind to bring down more. The Na-

' tional Party proposed to set about a gigantic plan to train service men so that they would be fitted for civilian life. If in Avar, finance Avas not alloAved to stand in the way of what was needed, so it should be in peace, said Mr Holland. Ncav Zealand Avas endowed by nature very generously. Practically the whole of the wealth that Avas exported from New Zealand Avas produced off the grass lands of the country. In the future, British people Avould need greater quantities of food to increase the standard of living,, and that food could be produced in New Zealand. The future spelt prosperity for the people of New Zealand provided they were prepared to work. The drift from the farm to the towns must be met by improving the conditions and housing on the farms. It was essential that they should give to every man in this country, Avell-paid, creative employment, but they had to organise their economy so that it did not conflict with the goods supplied to Ncav Zealand by Britain. Housing construction provided great possibilities. At present housing conditions in New Zealand were deplorable and no one. seemed to be prepared to face up to the position. He believed the National Party had a policy that Avould improve the condi-

tions of life in New Zealand. LAND SALES BILL. With regard to the Land Sales Bill. Mr Holland said the Government had introduced 17 amendments to that measure. There were four different pieces of legislation whereby the Government could take property if it wanted to. The National Party had battled so hard that the Government had been constrained to give Avay on some points, one of which was that the owner of the land had to have his home and an economic area preserved to him. The Government’s objective Avas that there should be no sale of land except to the State. Under the present la\v nothing could be sold without a permit from the State. He had no doubt that if the Government were returned, the provision to take any land would be reintroduced. The National Party Avanted the people to own their own homes. (Applause). DUTY OF ELECTORS. ' A very great duty devolved on every elector on September 25, said Mr Holland because on that day every elector had the right to strike for personal freedom. They wanted to restore in this country conditions in which the Government would be the servant of the people, and not the people the slaves of the State. He knew of no one who he would sooner have to assist him in the government of the country than Mr Mackley whom he commended to the support of the electors. He believed there was an awakening interest and a determination to restore sane government in God’s Oavii Country. (Applause). On the motion of Mr P. J. Borthwick, a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Holland Avas passed unanimously.