POLITICAL SURVEY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 May 1943, Page 3

POLITICAL SURVEY

WAR AND DOMESTIC AFFAIRS ADDRESS BY THE MEMBER FOR MASTERTON. WAR EFFORT OF DOMINION SECOND TO NONE. Mr J. Robertson, Labour member for Masterton, gave on Tuesday night his first political speech to a public audience at Eketahuna since the outbreak of war. The Mayor, Mr W. Olsen, presided. Mr Robertson gave a detailed account of the Labour Government’s achievements. He spoke of the Social Security legislation and its great and many benefits which gave to young and old alike a feeling of security against want. The war effort of their country, Mr Robertson said, was one of which New Zealanders could well be proud. It was second to none. Our soldiers were equipped with things made in New Zealand with the exception of rifle and bayonet. Items of equipment were not only made and used here, but were sent overseas to equip other soldiers, and of course our own, in the Middle East. In praising the work of our soldiers overseas, which would go down in history, Mr Robertson spoke at length of the rehabilitation of the returned men, of whom some 7,000 had arrived at a recent date, more having arrived. since. He gave his word and that of the Government that nothing would be left undone that should be done for the returned man. Land settlement was a main plank in the rehabilitation scheme and several men had already been settled on farms satisfactorily. Rehabilitation pensions were paid, and these were fairly generous, to tide the soldier over the period from the time of his discharge from the Army until he started a job. This was payable up to thirteen weeks. In discussing war finance, Mr Robertson said our overseas funds were in the healthy state of showing a balance of £47,000,000 in March, and were used in part to pay overdraft charges coming due in Britain. .The workers of New Zealand had done and were doing a splendid job, Mr Robertson went on to state. In munition works alone we were making as much in a week as we were in a year when the war started. Mr Robertson quoted two reported statements which, he said, showed the inconsistency of the Opposition. In a Wellington paper of May 17, Mr Holland had said that during his northern election tour he had visited factories doing war work, and stated the workers were fatigued through having to work such long hours. Mr Polson was reported as saying at Carterton on May 18 that the workers were not doing a 40-hour week and would not work between Monday and Friday, and rushed to work on Saturday so that they would get double pay. Both these statements could not be right. In closing, Mr Robertson said the Labour Government members were proud to read the four main points in the Atlantic Charter as given by Mr Churchill and President Roosevelt. They were things which the Labour Government had given their whole lives to bring into operation. Mr Robertson answered several questions. Votes of thanks were then accorded the speaker and the chairman.