“RETRACT OR RETIRE.”

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 16, 30 October 1940, Page 8

“RETRACT OR RETIRE.”

MR WEBB’S RECENT SPEECH. SECRET CABINET POLICY. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, October 29. A suggestion that the Minister of Labour (Hon. P. O. Webb) should either make a complete retraction cf the attitude he adopted in his recent West Coast speech or retire from the Cabinet was made by Mr M. G. C. McCaul at a, meeting of the Council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce this evening. The Minister, said Mr McCaul, liad let the cat out of the bag. That was apparent when Mr Webb’s remarks were considered in conjunction with all the legislation passed in the last five years, and the little amount of money spent on the war effort compared with money frittered away, thus weakening the financial fabric to such an extent that the capitalist system might break down.

“It does appear that Mr Webb merely ’voiced openly what the policy of tliei Cabinet is secretly,” Mr McCaul said. “There does not appear to me to have been sufficient vindication of any other point of view by the Cabinet. ”

Mr McCaul said that he would like the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) to take this matter seriously so That Mr Webb must completely retract his attitude or retire from,the Cabinet. He should not be allowed to remain in the Cabinet unless Cabinet approved of his views. A member: Hear, hear.

Mr McCaul: “If Cabinet does not approve of bis remarks they wens sufficiently categorical to warrant his retirement.”