NO CONFIDENCE

Evening Star, Issue 24326, 15 October 1942, Page 4

NO CONFIDENCE

THE GOVERNMENT CHALLENGED APPEASEMENT OF WAIKATO STRIKERS (Special.) WELLINGTON, October 15. ~i,r o. u. a-»Oiji;nu, ijcauer oi me Oppooiuiun, moica u iiiooion or nu-con-uueiice hi me ou.t.Jiiieiii in cue House or rupiesciiiainves last nignt. air iloixanu o motion was as lonoas Having regard to me nanuimg of certain ‘SiilL/*Lsi Uil<4 VlltJ (JUCCt Qil tllO COUII* ti V s war euort, tills House has no conhueiice in Hie uovernmeiu.” 'me deject ot the no-confidence motion, said toe Heauer of tno Opposition (iVrr noilanu) in tne House last night, was to guO members an unlimited opportunity ot discussing the events which Happened during the last few weeks. The country was entitled to the fullest information regarding the reasons for tne resignation of four Ministers ironi tno War Administration; With tho restrictions imposed on the publication of information, it was difficult for the public to obtain the full measure of information to which they felt entitled. Justice should be impartially administered. Britishers were proud to boast that the same laws governed rich and poor, and any Government which failed ro observe impartiality in the administration of justice deserved to lose the confidence of the House and the people. Jn 1939 the most drastic conditions covering the control of workers and employers during wartime were passed, but during the Waikato strike he found that the Government was proposing something which struck at the root of our judicial system. If any Government submitted to tho dictation of an unruly minority, this was the beginning of tho end of government in any country, and ho contended that in the Government’s handling of the mining strike it had handed over .to what one of its own Ministers referred to as ‘ wreckers,’ and had actually conceded to the strikers more than they struck for. They had demanded a minimum wage which, according to inquiry, they were not entitled to receive, but in place of what they struck for the miners were given State control of the mines. These proposals meant that 13,000 dairy farmers, who, through co-operative dairy association owned two of, the mines, were robbed of their mines, though there had not been the slightest suggestion that the owners had made any mistake in the controversy They were supposed to get their mines back after the war. “That is an empty promise;" continued Mr Holland. “ This may be the intention of the Government, but these men struck for State control, and they will strike again before private control is restored to the mine owners.” MISUSE OF WAR MONIES. Mr Holland strongly criticised payment of the Control Board from the War Expenses Account, which he considered a misuse of such funds. Mr Goosman: And any loss on the working of the mines. Mr Holland went on to say that he knew the Minister would connect up the coal output with the war effort. If that wiiS so, anything could be connected with tiie war, and there was no room for party government in New Zealand. The Government had struck at the roots of justice. What it had done was capitulation to the forces of lawlessness. When asked to vote for such proposals, it was too much for him, and resignation was the only course compatible with the preservation of his self-respect and his honour. Resignation was a severe wrench, because he had endeavoured to carry out his duties to the limit of his capacity, and could fairly claim that he had rendered some assistance in the administration of the war effort. Mr Holland emphasised that it had been established* that there had been an illegal strike. An inquiry that had been held found against the men. They had gone on strike in defiance of their own union, the Government, and the law. On September 15 the War Cabinet met and granted authority to proceed with the prosecution of the men on strike. “ I asked the quesUon at that meeting, and was assured that this time there would be no turning back,” said Mr Holland. It was stated then that if summonses were issued they would not be withdrawn. Six days later there was a meeting of the Ministers of the ” Cabinet, the War Administration, and the Domestic Cabinet, and the Prime Minister proposed that the sentences passed on, the men should be suspended. and the. men bound over. The men had not been bound over, but had received tho King’s pardon provided that they behaved themselves and did not take part in another strike. Mr Holland said that the Prime Minister had read portion of the regulations concerning the operation of tho system of State control. There was to he power to acquire plant and equipnZeni’ le not heard of anv shortage in that direction. There was also power to order the mine owners to provide cottages for-the comfort of the miners. He hoped that question would be cleared up, as the original proposal was that the houses should he paid for out of the War Expenses Account. Ho thought it would be a gross misuse of public funds to lose such money for the benefit of the men who had struck. He had opposed the use of funds for such purpose. Profits and losses were also mentioned by Mr Holland. While any excess in the working profit was to he" paid into the War Expenses Account, any losses were to he made up from the same source. Ho did not think the Government had any right to use the money set aside for war purposes to pay dividends. The owners were guaranteed an average profit over the'last three years. Mr Holland said he thought that the first consideration was the preservation of the Government’s right and authority to rule this country. Although coal was bat.lv needed, in his opinion it was of secondary importance. Even if the country had gone without coal for some more days the loss would not have been too high a price to pay for tho retention of our principles. The Prime Minister, continued Mr Holland, had done him an .injustice when lie had said that at the War Cabinet meeting no alternative had been put forward. He himself had put forward alternatives. One was that the mining industry should be declared a war industry and that the same disciphne that applied to soldiers should he applied to the miners on strike. Another was that the ringleaders should be immediately arrested. Had they been incarcerated he was sure the ™ would have been settled within 24 hours He believed that prosecution at that stage of the proceedings was a fatal blunder . He had urged that the men should be given 48 hoiii's to go into the mines or into camp. Since this unfortunate strike there had been a number of other disturbances that could not bo talked about publicly that wore a direct result of what had occurred in tho Waikato, 1 '