MR WEBB AMAZED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 October 1940, Page 8

MR WEBB AMAZED

SAYS REPORTS OF SPEECH WERE GARBLED MISREPRESENTATION OF VITAL POINTS. NEED OF NATIONAL UNITY EMPHASISED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WESTPORT. October 22. The Minister of Labour. Mr Webb, stated at his meeting at Hector tonight that he was amazed to read in certain papers published elsewhere what he described as a garbled account of an address delivered at Denniston two days ago. There were certain portions of his speech which totally misrepresented the whole spirit and purpose of his appeal to the miners and people of the Coast. The statement that “capitalism would be as dead as Julius Caesar” was only part of what was said. “The statement which I did make, ' said the Minister, “was in reply to critics who claim that the war is merely a capitalist war to perpetuate capitalism, and I stated men like Mr Bevin, Minister of Labour in England, and other members of the English Government, representing both sides of political thought, had emphatically stated that old conditions which prevailed before the war would never again be tolerated, and I was of the definite opinion that people who were fighting and suffering and working side by side in a spirit of determination to uphold and firmly establish the principles of justice and democracy would stick together when the war was over and establish new economic conditions in keeping with the necessities of a changed world. “i pointed out that the capitalism which allowed a few to accumulate untold wealth and thrive on profitmongering benefited only a few at the expense of millions, who were unable to find employment and enjoy a decent standard of living. The common bond which unites us new will. I am sure, unite us after-the war, and that form of capitalism will be buried. GOVERNMENT’S MOTTO. “The Government of this country is not concerned so much about ‘isms’ as; it is about results. We are aiming to establish the highest standard of living that our national production can support. The motto of this Government is to make use of the most efficient machinery to provide that standard of living which is so essential to healthy and happy life, and if by co-operating with private enterprise we can obtain better results that co-operation will be willingly given. “In fact the whole tone of my speecn was in the opposite direction from that which has been reported. 1 wanted to see the spirit of the economic conference expressed in the mines and workshops of the country—that is an all-in policy, pooling our knowledge for common good. “I regret that such a garbled account, which totally misrepresented many of the vital points I endeavoured to make, should have been sent out. I claimed then, and repeat now, that this is no time for post mortems on what should have been. This is a time for every citizen to unite irrespective of his economic interests or his political views. The war must be won if the people are to be free and, after the war is won and our democracy safe, the intelligence of the people will determine the best form of Government and the best kind of economic system to establish. “I deprecated any agitation on the part of either employers or workers which divided our ranks during this time. My appeal was for more coal production, more farm production, in order that we can contribute more to our national war effort.” THE EMERGENCY COUNCIL. Mr Webb also said that wonderful work had been performed by the Industrial Emergency Council set up by the Government to deal with all matters affecting labour and industry. He said: “The spirit of that council, which is representative of employers and the Federation of Labour in equal numbers, has modified at least about 30 different awards. They have approached every subject in a non-party spirit and have come to decisions without divisions and thus have helped to facilitate an increase in production, which is so needed. I appealed to the workers to give their whole support to that spirit.” Mr Webb concluded by wholeheartedly supporting the findings of the National Economic Conference, which, he said, embodied the combined intelligence of all economic interests. All questions of an academic or controversial nature could be well left over till after the war, and he assuied his listeners that the outstanding service which could be rendered to the Old Country at present was to produce more and consume less of those commodities which could be done without. He was further convinced, as a result of his many meetings and associations with people of the West Coast, that a better and more determined spirit of pooling efforts never existed. “I regret deeply,” concluded the Minister, “that any garbled 'reports should be published which could quite reosonnblv be construed to engender a spirit of class warfare in the place of complete unity.” At the close of the meeting a vote of confidence in Mr Webb as member and in the Labour Government was carried unanimously.