CLEAR AND STRAIGHT THINKING NEEDED, SAYS MR. FRASER

Grey River Argus, 31 March 1948, Page 8

CLEAR AND STRAIGHT THINKING NEEDED, SAYS MR. FRASER

DUNEDIN, March 30.

“There never was a time in the world when the need for clear thinking and straight thinking was more necessary than at the present moment”, said the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, addressing members of the Federated Catholic Clubs and Societies of New Zealand at the opening of their South Island conference in Dunedin on Saturday.

“If our country is to proceed on the path of progress and liberty, and is to' retain its freedom’’, Mr Fraser continued, “there is a need for those taking part in public life and in the activities of all societies to learn _ to think clearly and to be able to think when on their feet in order to meet whatever situations may arise”. Mr Fraser said that he had been speaking to the secretary of the Victoria College University Students’ Association, and had asked how the resolution congratulating M. Gottwald, the Communist Premier of Czechoslovakia, had got through, because he was quite satisfied the majority oi students would not be in favour of it. The Prime Minister said he was told that there were one or two present at the meeting who had thought quickly and put forward the motion which had been carried before most of the others understood what it was all about. As a result, the Students’ Association had appeared in an unfavourable light. ' “You cannot retain the foundation of democracy laid by the pioneers unless there is a sense of responsibility on the part of everyone in the community”, Mr Fraser said. “The idea that there is some magic to bestow wealth upon the people is nonsense”. SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY He added that wealth had to be produced and distributed in all forms, and the health and other benefits which were conferred by the country could be destroyed unless there was that snse of responsibility by everybody. ■ It was common, the Prime continued, for groups in all economic activities to want to push their own interests and not see the interests of the community as a whole. Without some idea of co-operation by ab groups the way would be made easy for the doctrine of Communism and subversion to find a place. Communists were trying to create a feeling that all benefits were illusions and to cause dissension in this country, which was the best of all, and did not want such things. Mr Fraser reminded them that when Abel Tasman saw the West Coast of New Zealand he wrote in his log that he had seen a great land uplifted high when he saw the top of the Southern Alps, and that was what they must aim. at—to keep it high and not to allow any forces, reactionary or Communistic, to destroy what had been built up. They should go forward in an atmosphere of liberty and progress to provide adequately for all men.

“We stand for those things you mentioned to-day, particularly the New Zealand way of life”, Mr W. J. Butler (Greymouth) said in the course of his reply to the speeches of welcome to the visiting delegates. “We believe the New Zealand way of life can be best preserved by the people, particularly the young people, educating themselves against those subversive people with tongues very much broader than their brains”.