PRISONERS IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 49, 28 February 1939, Page 8

PRISONERS IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY

NEW ZEALANDERS TO-DAY VIEW OF HON. ADAM HAMILTON “HON. W. NASH AS WARDER” f Per Pres Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 27. “People in New Zealand are prisoners in their own country. Even their own money is locked up. The Hon. W. Nash is the warder and the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage the gaoler. The old cry of ‘Freedom under the Union Jack’ does not mean anything in New Zealand to-day.”

This was the picture painted by the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. A. Hamilton, in an interview when he arrived from the south.

“The people of this country do not realise the seriousness of the import and export restrictions,” declared Mr. Hamilton. “The real effect is that we are prisoners. If a New Zealand citizen to-day wants to take a holiday overseas he has got to apply to the Government for a permit and the Government will then decide how much of his own money he can take out of the country—unless the man has money overseas.

“The policy being persued by the present Government was bound to bring its reactions. Already we have severe reactions in the form of these drastic restrictive quotas.”

Brief reference was made by Mr. Hamilton to the Social Security Act. There was little now the National Party could do, he said. They had fought it tooth and nail during its passage through the House. All that was known at present was that the Government did not propose to operate the free medical provisions of the Act in the meantime. That would mean a saving of two or three million pounds a year, but the whole lax was going on.

I’he proposed importation from overseas of 1000 artisans indicated

that the Government was not usefully providing for all New Zealander’s own artisans, said Mr. Hamilton. There must be plenty of men available. Many of them, who were employed on public works, were not prepared to leave their jobs to take a chance in the building trade. "I have noticed that the Government has been commended by some businessmen on its decision to review' anomalies in the land and income tax,” continued Mr. Hamilton. “I am convinced that when the Act is reviewed people will not be too happy about it. They will get a big surprise, for a review of anomalies is almost certain to mean increases.’’