MR WEBB’S SPEECH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 22, 6 November 1940, Page 8

MR WEBB’S SPEECH

THE AUCKLAND COMPLAINT.

REPLY BY THE PREMIER. fPer Press Association). WELLINGTON, November 5. A further assurance that the Government would not take advantage of the exceptional powers invested in the Ministry by the War Emergency Regulations to further any of its purely party proposals, and also that the regulations would he repealed as soon as practicable after the war, was given by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser), in reply to a communication from Air Spender (president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce) regarding a statement attributed to the Hon. P. C. Webb 011 the West Coast recently. In his letter Mr Spender drew particular attention to the reported reference to the end of the capitalist regime, and asked Mr Fraser whether Mr Webb’s views represented the official war policy of the Government. In addition to the assurance given. Air Fraser said that in his opinion the only really serious aspect of the whole matter was the attempt made in some quarters to work up a scare in regard to the security of investments in war loans and the savings scheme. Jt was imperative at this critical period that the financial and credit structure of the Dominion should not be impaired, or .its stability questioned. It was not only the administration of the Government that was involved. It was' tho good name and reputation of New Zealand, in the fundamental matter of honouring all obligations when they fell due. No Government had ever Ixjon more meticulously rigorous in safeguarding 'the ’honour"of New Zealand in this respect, and incidentally the savings of the people, than the Labour Government.

“I have already made it perfectly .clear. that, I. accept Mr . Webb’s’ assurance that what appeared in the press, a portion of which you quote, was a distorted account of his address. Therefore there is nothing more to be said by me on that particular subject. It may interest your members, however, to know that Air Webb freely admits that, in common with Archbishop York, Air Herbert Morrison, Air C. R. Attlee, Air Arthur Greenwood, Air Ernest Revin, and Air Hugh Dalton, he stated in his West Coast address, and firmly believes, that as a natural consequence of the war in which all classes of tho British Commonwealth are sharing the burden of sacrifice, it will be impossible for democratic countries to relapse into a capitalism which enables a few to be enriched fabulously, while millions are condemned to unemployment, destitution and poverty. Happily, New Zealanders have been spared anything of this tragic nature in the last few years. I am certain that no member of your chamber wishes the British Commonwealth to return to such social and economic conditions. “While I have no doubt that your statement in regard to the effect of the publication of the alleged utterance of Air Webb on the collection of funds for patriotic purposes was made in good faith. I refuse to believe that the people of Auckland who have given, and are giving, so generously to patriotic funds, as well as strenuously supporting Nw Zealand’s war effort in every possible way, would even contemplate for a moment sacrificing the interests of, far less penalising, the fine men 1 ' of tho Expeditionary Force and their dependants because of any utterance of any public man.”