WAR EFFORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 May 1941, Page 4

WAR EFFORT

! ALL THAT MATTERS TODAY ■ PUBLIC IN NO MOOD FOR PARTY POLITICS. NATIONAL PARTY AIMS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. “The public, today is in no mood for party politics. The only thing that matters now is the prosecution of the war to a successful conclusion.” said the Leader of the Opposition. Mr Holland, in an address delivered to the Dominion conference of the New Zealand National Party yesterday. If the National Party was elected, said Mr Holland, it would set about the formation of a national non-party Government, dropping party politics, and would get on with the war. Seeing that the Government of the day had rejected all offers for the formation of a non-party Government, and was itself proceeding apace with preparations for the general election, the National Party was obliged to make similar preparations. A proposal that the party should adopt a bodge to be worn during the election campaign was turned down by the conference by a large majority. The view taken by the majority of the delegates was that to display badges at the present time might tend to engender partisan feeling and : cause disunity. A suggestion by Mr W. H. Flail (Timaru) that the Leader of the Op- , position might well pay a visit, to the 1 New Zealand troops overseas met with J. the approval of the conference, and it! was decided that the possibility of his’ doing so should be investigated. 1 Mr A. Gordon, Hamilton, was re- 1

elected president of the party. Mr £ Holland, in announcing Mr Gordon's re-election unopposed, said his 'hand- I ling of the party affairs had won the 1 admiration and appreciation of every t member. ' f

The vice-presidents elected were Messrs F. G. Massey (Auckland). H. Dent (South Auckland). C. W. D. Bell' (Wellington), G. H. Grigg (Canterbury) and G. W. Lane Otago-South-land).

Mrs F. I. Kaye. Wellington, was elected North Island women’s vicepresident, and Mrs T. S. Smith (Otago) was elected South Island , women’s vice-president.

Much time during the day was devoted to a consideration of routine matters, including amendments to rules and matters connected only with the party’s internal organisation. At the conclusion of the conference Mr Gordon thanked the delegates for their attendance and said it' had been a highly successful conference.