NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION DEFEATED

Chronicle (Levin), 1 July 1949, Page 3

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION DEFEATED

Members Express: YieWs Oit ' 1 Conscription . - • f: WELLINGTON;. Jpne 30; In the 14 years.that the Lab'our Goverjament had.been in.office, it had governed the country mueh more'. gft'ective^ Iv thari any prev'ioh's Governnifeht, said Hon, C. F. Skinner 'when the" debate on the O'pposition 's no 'ebnMence motion was resumed in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Mr Skinner said that the points at issue between the Opposition and the Government boiled down to whether the Government should implement its defence policy willyniliy or refer the whole question to the elec

tors of the country. = Mr W. A. Bodkin (Central Otago) said that those seats held by a narrow margin in favour of the Government were also beld only vsdth the support of Communists. The Government had de cided to hold a referendum on the defence question so as not to offend the Communists. It was the Opposition 's duty when it saw the Government failing to govern' and being subservient to outside pressure, to take the stand that it was taking. Tlie Commnnity Party in New Zealand held the balance of power and any person voting for 'the Labour Party w'as getting into the same boat as t-he Communists. 0 When the Prime Mihister..- was forced to puli down. his colours at thelLhbour . Party conference over the •compulsory service issue. it was a Communist who 4ed the cheering. Mr P. G. Connolly (Dunedin Central) said no member of the Communist Party attended the Labour Party conference. The course the Government was following in submitting the issue to a referendum, was the most democratic one possible and it was warranted by the course of events overseas. Althoug:i the war threat was less to-day than last year, there was still the need .for adequate defence. Mr Connoily said that if this defence issue meant conscription for overseas service, he would possibiy have some doubts about supporting it

but as he saw the situation, the. issue was compulsory military traiuing. He had always held' that young plen sho'uld be trained to sei-v.e th.eir country. "We • should take a lesson from the battle of ' Britain where, if'iVwere hot"'for tli'ose ! young mea: frhp Jiad*j»traiuedo - '^efore ; 1939, we 'would not'*fee 'deb'ating this - subject to-dayy^Ch& said. He hoped , tliat tlie people would give wholeheart-i ed support and a ' ' ye's ' ' answer to the Goverumeut's proposal. . , Mr F. W. Langstone. .(RQskiU). . said ; he was'satisfied that it was far better' to be ruled by reasou and knowledge than by prejudice and ignoranee s ud on tlie question before the House which would shortly "eomei-before' tlfe country, there was tirhe to iCousider whether ; '' compulsory military-' training- was the : ^best system so' far- 'as .the ^defence'. of • New Zealand was coucerned. Biscussing the question of "pressure f &f outside, groups, ' ' Mr Langstone said surely if was the'inalienable right of any personor group of people to come forward openly with their ideas on matters affecting them. The -question which was the basis of the no-confidence motiou, was possibiy the most momentous issue that had ever-been placed before the people of New Zealand but would ccuscrrption ever settle war? Wars were won by exhaustion but the last war was

set'tled in the air and by the atomic bomb. The air was the most effieacious of all known forms of defence. There was no defence to-day other than by attack and uo combination of small nations could wage war unless it was supported by one of the big super nations. The mere conscription of 12,000 boys who would be called uj) — a'nd rejeetions would probably reduce' tbat total to 3000 — would take three years and it 1 j was quite possible that the speed with/ whicli the changes : ' were being made, would put that system out of date "and • that would be a miglity' big price to pay for that insurauce.'-' Mr Langstone said that iustead of a land force, an - air force would be far better for New Zealand. Opposition voice: But military experts don't agree with you. Mr Langstone: Not all experts are right. Mr Langstone went on to say that with the advent of the atomic bomb, • the day of standing armies had been superceded. In New Zealand there wero one Major-General, 11 Brigadiers, seven Colonels, 20 Lieut.Colonels, 2(500 officers • and other ranks. It was natural that, there would be a drive and teudeucy to want conscription because that was the only way they could get the men. He thought there should be a real investigatiou of the army. He ha^ always stood for the full, free and unfettered rights of British eitizenship and ever sinee New Zealand h^d. been a settied colony and later a Dominiou, we had alw'ays "wante'd freedom from militarism because that was what invited invasioh. 'I claim to be as ^incerelv. iuterested in the welfare of my ovvu^ country as auy other person," Mr Langstone said. "I deny to no man the • right to advocate what he thinks is right and I allow no man t^? dictaie to me what he thinks is' right, if I • don't .agree." The debate ended with a 'division whieh resulted in the no-confidence motiou being rejeeted by 38 votes to 35. The House rose at 5.18 p.m. uutil 7.30 p.m. wheh the Military Traiuing Poll Bill will be discussed.