MEN & MONEY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 October 1940, Page 7

MEN & MONEY

POLICY OF CONSCRIPTION MR WEBB ADDRESSES MINERS SAYS WAR WILL LEAVE FEW - RICH MEN. DEFENCE OF REGULATIONS. (By Telegraph—Press AssociaUon. I WESTPORT, October 20. Claiming that the Government had no other alternative because of the serious state of the war but to bring in conscription of man power and money, the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb, addressed three meetings of miners at Denniston, Stockton and Millerton today. Several questions on the conscription issue and the alleged change of attitude by Labour members compared with that of the last war were answered by the Minister, who said that this war was between Nazism and democracy. Capitalists had put the Empire into a mess and industrial unionists were now rallying in an effort to repel a common foe. Because of this and the likely danger threatening New Zealand, it was considered necessary to call on the men of the Dominion. He assured his questioners that coming legislation would see that the rich men’s wealth was conscripted up to the hilt, and there would be few rich men about at the end of the war. Mr Webb complained of unions and branches of the Labour Party passing motions objecting to certain war measures which were not understood by most of the members. He claimed that full particulars of these war regulations should be ascertained before printing motions which might be harmful to the Labour cause, and which were given prominence in capitalist papers. He said that under a special measure the Attorney-General would have power to take action against any employer or employee hindering the Government’s war effort, but an appeal could be made to the Court of Arbitration. Only a very serious transgression would lead to action and then local Labour committees would first consider the case. Members of unions agreed that there had been a misunderstanding in mos< cases and thanked the Minister for clearing the matter up. Mr Webb was given great receptions at all three places and was accorded motions of thanks and unanimous confidence in the Labour Party.