Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 18 December 1917, Page 2

As an indication of the trend of opinion towards backing up the reality of the demand for national efficiency, ! the resolutions lately passed ; by the New Zealand Far- • mers’ Co-operative Distributing Com- ‘ pany are quite apropos. The influential body referred to, had the following proposition put before it by Sir James Wilson, Chairman of Directors: Thai this meeting of producers recognises that the war has to be brought to a successful conclusion, otherwise the lives of many of our host and bravest will have been sacrificed in vain. That tlie financial resources of the Dominion must undergo a severe strain should the war continue for a year or more. That increased production, particularly of our primary products is essential to enable t-lio country to fulfil its obligations. That national efficiency, thrift and economy is the duty call of every loyal citizen. Acknowledging the tenets set forth herein, we, in the nation’s interests, pledge ourselves, during the coming year, to use every possible endeavour to fully discharge the personal obligations attaching thereto. Mr ilt. Campbell, in seconding the mation, said the time had arrived for the proper organising of the labour of the country. There had been too much go as you please up to the present. The country had sent, away the flower of its manhood and the labour had to he replaced. Students would have to he taken out of the colleges and sent to the country to help the farmer. Female labour would have to he organised also, ftew Zealand could not; pay its wav unless production were increased and the only way to do this was to organise labour. Mr. T. Moss supported the motion and appealed for co-opera-tion among all classes .in New Zealand. The soldiers at the front wore pulling to gether axid the people at home had to pull together likewise. The resolution was carried,—a very healthy si no of tihe times tjliat Now Zealand ;’s waking up to the stem realities of tile situation.

The escape of enemy prisoners from the . detention camp near Auckland, calls for the instant enquiry the Government lin s authorised. The men include certain enemy subjects who have a desperate record to their names, and it seems passing strange that their surveillance should have been of the perfunctory character it was. The system seems to he more at fault than the method, and the present case should lead to a prompt revision of the general system under which the prisoners of war are detained. There has been the disposition made plain from time to time to treat interned enemy subjects exceptionally well. There was the case, also at Auckland, of the prisoner of war who was allowed to patronise the leading hotels to satisfy hi s epicurean tastes He was supposed to be under a guard_ but on one occasion he had a difficulty in discovering his guard to escort him back to “durance vile!” The present system revealed by the latest Auckland case, shows the guards to he equally confiding. It is remarkable that it should he so with the class of prisoners that were in keeping. The whole system requires instant revision. There was great mystery about the arrival of these prisoners in New Zealand, and the Censor imposed an embargo on the publication of the news item attending their exit. Some of the papers however appear to have ignored the Censor, who is as much defied a.c the guards put over the enemy. Surely there are some interludes of comic opera in the manner in which New Zealand runs the war.