ROOM FOR CRITICISM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 March 1941, Page 4

ROOM FOR CRITICISM

IMPRESSMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES PREMIER’S OBSERVATIONS. STARTLED AT NUMBER OF COMMUNICATIONS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “I agree that there is room for criticism here,” said the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) when replying in the House of Representatives yesterday to the Leader of the Opposition’s criticism of the methods used in the impressment of motor-vehicles. Mr. Fraser said that appeals were made for vehicles and it was not too much, he thought, to ask people to come forward to assist the Territorials who were trying to learn how to defend their country. Mr. Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn): “Were those final manoeuvres necessary at the risk of industrial dislocation?” “I do not believe that there will be any industrial dislocation,” replied the Prime Minister. “I understand that there are 50,000 vehicles in this country and only 1200 were asked for. I admit I was startled at the number of communications I received from people who were protesting against the impressment of their vehicles, but my invariable reply was that they should carry on and appeal immediately. “I am not saying that the method adopted was effective in all ways, but we are living at a time when we must expect inconveniences in our lives. The black-out may inconvenience us, but with the danger of raiders from the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic attacking our shipping and even our ports we must be prepared to put up with these inconveniences. They are a small price to pay for our national security. The best laid schemes sometimes go out of adjustment, but whatever mistakes are made the people must realise that, in the circumstances they cannot have 100 per cent, perfection.”