MR WEBB IN HAMILTON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 November 1939, Page 4

MR WEBB IN HAMILTON

APPEAL FOR GOOD FEELING. CONFIDENCE IN NATIONAL OUTLOOK. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, November 25. “I feel confident that in spite of the pessimism prevailing in certain quarters the Dominion will pull through with flying colours and be able proudly to boast of being the industrial paradise of the world,” said the Minister of Labour. Referring to statements made bj’ him at a meeting of trade unionists at Hamilton last night Mr Webb said he was reported to have said in replj’ to a question that if the Hamilton business people closed their shops on the afternoon of December 4 to enable their employees to attend a meeting tc protest against the import restrictions they would have no cause to grumble if someone else opened a shop and served people. That statement was not correct. It was stated at the meeting that a number of employers were threatening employees with dismissal as a result of the import control legislation and that they proposed to close all businesses after Christmas for a considerable time. His reply was that he could not believe such a statement to be true because that would virtually be declaring a strike on the public. He realised that many business people had difficulties, and so had the country, but he had said that if such a course were pursued shopkeepers could not complain if other arrangements were made by v/hich supplies needed by the public would be available. The Government would negotiate in a most friendly spirit. He appealed to the employees and business people in Hamilton not to allow heat and bad feeling to be engendered which might take long years to eradicate.