ASSISTANCE FOR BRITAIN

Chronicle (Levin), 14 August 1947, Page 6

ASSISTANCE FOR BRITAIN

TWO-DAY CONFERENCE TO BE HELD NEXT WEEK WELLINGTON, Augusfr 13. A cbnference cohvened by the Government will be lield^ on Wednesday and Thursday of next week to consider all means by which Britain might be helped in her presenf economic crisis. This was announced tonight in the House of Bepresentatives by the Pr-ime Minister, Mr. Fraser, who added that the discussions of the conference would . eover the complete range of subjeets eoncerned with a'id to Britain such as problems of production for export, transport and shipping, imports, food rationing, food parcels and * otlier related matters. •' ' The conference, for which invitations are now being issued, will be opened i'n the social" hall of Parliament Buildings with short addresses by the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and Mr. Tirikatene represenfing the Maori" people. The people invited -w.ould be representative of the entire community, said Mr. Fraser, and would include workers' and employers ' organisations, export producers and ' importers, local and public bodies, ex-servicemen's associations, social, educational and women 's or.ganisations, the cliurc'hes, the present "food for Britain campaign" leaders and. others. "I know that everyone in New Zealand is behind the Goverrment in its desire that the people of all sections of the community sliall get together and diseuss all possibilities of increasing aid to Britain in whatever mauner possible," said Mr. Fraser. "We in New Zealand can help lighten Britain 's load. We must Jind out her most urgent

needs and tlien unite in doing all in our power to -meet them. We must translate our feelings of sympathy into a practical expression. " The Prime Minister said the seeretarial work.in arranging the conference was being carried out by Mr. F. B. Btepliens, of the Department of Interual Affairs. Mr. Fraser, supplementing his statement, said that the Government was already in communication with the British Government and a suggestion had been put forward by the Leader of tlie Opposition that a ropresentative of the Government and Opposition should visit the United Ivingdom to lind out exactlv what A" e w Zealand could do. Mr. Fraser said he would like to diseuss the matter furtlier but personallv lie thought the suggestion was well worth wliile. He could say 110 more about it at the moment except that it was a very good suggestion. He said we now had the opportunity of having a united national movement to help the Mother Country and it would be well to set aside a day either before or after the eonference so that

the Iluuse could diseuss proposals 'for assisting Britain. He would, however, diseuss that matter with tlie Leader of the Opposition but he thought that next Tuesdav could be set aside for that purpose. He would like to hear what members of Parliament thought should be done. It would be invidious, he thought, for Parliament to be at the conference because Parliament was itself the superior body. . M r. Ilollaud said "b© had discussecl 1 his suggestion with the Prime Minister 1 .m the train during the journey back from Auckland last week and added ;hat his colleagues suppofted entirely the proposition put forward by the Prime Minister. Thet, Government could iie assured that the Opposition- would. lo everything it cou|d to make the .eon1'erence a success. ' Now was not tlie time for anv dilferences between any sections of the" eomtfrunity in a matter such as this and the Opposifion was in the mood to g-ive all the help it could to lind the solution to thosn complex problems.