NATIONAL UNITY

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21361, 4 March 1941, Page 7

NATIONAL UNITY

FARMERS’ UNION PLEA END OF PARTY POLITICS DEMANDS OF WAR CRISIS (Special to Times.) WELLINGTON. March 1 Addressing the monthly meeting of the Alakara-Hutt Valley provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, the Dominion president. Mr W. W. Mulholland, spoke about the gravity of the military and economic situation that was facing the Empire. The acting-Prime Minister of Australia, said the speaker, had drawn attention to the military situation, and there could be no doubt that the next year would be one of very great importance, and would probably decide whether the freedom-loving peoples would be allowed to retain their freedom or whether the world would go back to the dark ages. The economic situation, as affected by the war, was also one that was j becoming increasingly grave. In order to meet the difficulties of the situation which would arise, if large quantities of our normal exports and imports were shut off, as appeared possible at present, much more drastic action on the part of the Government would be necessary. No party Government could enforce the drasticregulations «of people’s normal activities which seemed likely to become •necessary. People objected to handing over the whole of their rights and freedom to the government of only one party. He felt very strongly that the time had arrived when party politics did not matter. Unless they had, in the direction of their national affairs, people of all shades of opinion, they could not get the public confidence in the administration and the public unity of mind which was so essential at the present juncture. They were passing through an economic crisis of the first magni • tude, in addition to facing a military situation which the acting-Prime Minister of Australia had described as “ grave.” Surely, the present was a time when everyone should unite. If Hitler won it would not matter to what political school of thought one might belong. We would ail be in a concentration camp. We had to save the British ideals—those ideals for which we, and our forefathers, had stood, and the saving of those ideals was of more importance to us than the saving of some party shibboleth. If they did this, they could weather the economic and military storm that faced them. Work of War Cabinet He did not want it to be thought for a moment that he was disparaging the activities of the War Cabinet The War Cabinet had had a marked effect on those matters which had come within its jurisdiction in getting energy and direction and decision into the war effort of the country, and that was one of the very good reasons that he saw for extending the national Cabinet to cover the whole of their affairs in New Zealand. There had been a feeling of confidence in the handling of things by the War Cabinet that was so markedly lacking in the handling of things by the general Cabinet. A great many people in New Zealand were feeling like himself about it, and many of them were endeavouring to bring it about. Politics, said the speaker, did not matter. They had to win v the war and save their British ideals. The following resolution was carried on the motion of Messrs Tullock and A. Horrobin:—“ That in order j that the real unification of the Dominion may be achieved, this meet- : ing is of the opinion that a national Government truly representative of all sections of the community is essential.”