MEN & WEALTH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 May 1940, Page 5

MEN & WEALTH

“THE ONLY WAY.” Moving the adoption of the conscription clause, Mr R. O. Montgomerie, Wanganui, said the issue was civilisation versus barbarism, and the only way to meet the challenge was to conscript both manpower and wealth. Nothing those in New Zealand could do to support men overseas should be left undone. As far as conscription of wealth was concerned, he said: “We would be better to come out of this with only our shirts on our backs, as long as we were still under the Union Jack.”

The motion was seconded by Mr D. Sutherland, Wanganui, who said it was time the country woke up to the fact that manpower had to be organised. The only way to do that was by conscription.

“Everyone is waiting to do his bit, but everyone is waiting for a lead.” said Mr H. A. Anderson, Wanganui. There had been some obstruction of New Zealand’s war effort by going slow, and he would say that people who hindered the war effort were traitors.

Mr D. Scarrow, Waimarino, said the attitude of young men was that they would enlist when the Government wanted them. The majority, he thought, were waiting for conscription. Mr H. G. Hutchings, Wairarapa, said his branch supported conscription. Returned soldiers, who fought in the last war, did not hesitate to call for conscription. Wives and children of returned soldiers in his district were working from daylight to dark, while town workers were going home at 4 o’clock and only working five days a week.

The term conscription should be all embracing, said Mr J. E. Hodgson, Manawatu. The Government should have free and unfettered use, not only of manpower, but of money and everything else for the period of the war. ALIENS AT WORK. Everyone knows that aliens are at work in New Zealand, said Mr L. T. Daniell, Wairarapa, moving the clause relating to the internment of aliens. They were at work everywhere in New Zealand, even in Wanganui. While our men were fighting overseas, they should not be stabbed in the back by members of the Fifth Column. Everybody knew what had happened in Norway, Holland and Belgium. “We should get in first and put them on Somes Island,” he said. The motion was seconded by Mr C. Webb, Manawatu. “We cannot shut our eyes to the fact that some German-born professional men who have recently come to New Zealand are a potential danger,” said Mr R. O. Montgomerie. Mr P. V. Koehler, Manawatu, suggested that the demand for internment of all aliens might be too sweeping. There were in this country foreigners, not Germans, who had lived here for 50 years and more and had proved themselves good citizens and many of them had taken a big part in the development of the country.

Moving that the words “and disloyal elements” be added to the motion, Mr P. Andrew, Wairarapa, said he had returned from England about six months ago, and on the ship on which he travelled there were about 300 refugees from Germany and Austria, who had been admitted to Australia. It was of the utmost importance that the disloyal element should be watched. They constituted a danger that could not be ignored. Mr D. Frederick, Waimarino, said he had personal knowledge of the distribution of Communist pamphlets in his district at night. These had been placed in letter boxes. Approval of the inclusion of the words “disloyal elements” in the motion was expressed by Mr J. R. Franklin. Southern Hawke's Bay. He knew personally of people who read of German successes with undisguised glee. He believed there were more people of that nature in the country than the average New Zealander was aware of.

Mr Anderson, Wanganui, said that if exceptions were made there would be many who would escape the net. Conference ought to insist that there be no exceptions. No risks could be taken on the ground that a few might suffer.

Speaking in reply, Mr Daniell said that some form of appeal would be a safeguard against injustice. THE FORTY HOUR WEEK. “This is the most important section of the motion,” said Mr H. J. McLcavey, Manawatu. moving the adoption of the clause relating to the 40-hour week. No war could be won on a 40hour week, he said.

Seconding the motion. Mr E. O. Bond. Mana'watu, said there were too many sheltered industries in New Zealand, which apparently were protected by the Government. Workers in town had Saturday and Sunday free after their labours. Did farmers have that privilege? Mr D. G. Gordon, Taihape, agreed that the hours restriction in awards should be abolished. Abolition of the 40-hour week would do more to achieve unity than anything else. Il would mean more equality of sacrifice.

“Farmers have been asked by the authorities to produce more, and I think the workers should also make some contribution to that,” said Mr R. O. Montgomerie.

Mr McLcavey said he wanted to make it clear that the motion did not aim at asking the workers to work extra hours for nothing. All that was wanted was abolition of the overtime rate of pay. The worker would receive the ordinary rate of pay for every houi worked. A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. Moving that conference demand the formation of a National Government, Mr P. Andrew, Wairarapa. said that formation of such a Government was the crux of the whole problem. All sections should be represented in the Government. “They have done it in Britain, and we are going to do it here.” he said. All parties and interests should be represented. He did not care twopence for the National Party. He wanted a National Government.

Mr W. G. Thomas. Wairarapa. seconding the motion, said the call was for a War Cabinet. There was no reason why their Dominion president should not be a member of it.

Disagreement with the proposal for a War Cabinet which would include members who had not been elected to Parliament was expressed by Mr S. C. Smith, Mangaweka. Such a proposal he considered undemocratic. He would approve of expert advisers, however.

Mr Montgomerie said it had been the practice of all Governments to appoint

men to the Upper House, and the difficulty could be overcome in that way. Foi' such a Government he would unhesitatingly suggest the name of Sir Andrew Russell.

Mr W. W. Mulholland. Dominion president, said a War Cabinet, to be of any use, should not necessarily represent any particular interest. What was wanted was a Cabinet fully representative of the nation. The crisis demanded a War Cabinet on the lines of the British Cabinet, said Mr Andrew, in reply. In that Cabinet all sections were represented. The whole four clauses of the motion were carried unanimously, after which there was sustained applause. ■

CONSCRIPTION URGED BY FARMERS

FORMATION OF WAR CABINET

INTERNMENT OF ENEMY ALIENS.

DEMANDS BY INTERPROVINCIAL CONFERENCE.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WANGANUI, May 23. That the time had come for “demanding” not “.suggesting” was the dominant note of a discussion by representatives of farmers in : the Wellington province when discussing New Zealand’s war effort at the annual interprovincial conference of the Farmers’,Union, which opened here today.

Delegates unanimously agreed that there was only one thing that mattered today—winning the war and speeding up to the utmost New Zealand’s war effort.

Rarely has such enthusiasm and determination been shown at a gathering of New Zealand farmers as was shown during the discussion today. Speakers who pressed home the necessity for the Government doing much more than it was at present doing received rounds of applause. These demonstrations of approval reached a climax during the afternoon, when Colonel H. B. Maunsell, Masterton, who addressed the conference by invitation, stressed the extreme urgency of organising a force for home defence. The chairman, Mr Hugh Morrison, Wairarapa, submitted the following motion on behalf of the executive, and it was carried unanimously:— “That in view of the gravity of the crisis facing the British Empire and France and their Allies today and the lassitude and inefficiency of our Parliamentary leaders, this conference unanimously postpones discussion indefinitely of its comprehensive agenda paper for the purpose of discussing the following proposals: First, that confer 1 ence proposes immediately conscription of manpower and wealth for the duration of the war; secondly, that conference demands the immediate internment of.all enemy aliens and disloyal elements; thirdly, that conference demands the abolition of the 40hour week, together with the removal of all time restrictions and the abolition of all overtime rates for the duration of the war; fourthly, that conference demands the formation of a War Cabinet, representative of all sections of the community, pledged to prosecute with the utmost vigour New Zealand’s war effort.”