THE WAR EFFORT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 49, 7 December 1940, Page 2

THE WAR EFFORT

DISTURBING STATEMENTS.

APPEAL FOR RESTRAINT

(Per Press Association)

WELLINGTON, December 6,

An appeal to members not to make statements- throughout the country which might occasion uneasiness among the people with regard to New Zealand’s War effort was made by the Prime Minister in a statement in the House this afternoon. Ho said that if members had any criticism of the war effort to make it could be made during secret sessions of the House or to members of the War Cabinet or responsible Ministers, but he deprecated statements being made' outside the House reflecting on what the country was doing toward the successful prosecution of the war. New Zealand’s War effort was a very creditable one, he said, and was recognised as such by the British Government. The statement came as a climax to brief speeches made by Mr E. P. Meachen (Labour, Marlborough) and Mr F. W. Doidge (National, Tauranga), regarding a question which Mr Meachen had addressed to the Prime Minister in the House on the previous day, when he asked if Mr Fraser’s attention had been drawn to the report of a speech by Mr Doidge to the effect that New Zealand’s war effort was negligible. The Leader of the. Opposition protested when the question was laid on the table that Mr Doidge would have no opportunity of reply, and Mr Fraser then intimated that Mr Doidge would have an opportunity of expressing his opinion later if an occasion could be found. Mr Fraser intimated this afternoon after the third reading of th'e Finance Bill (No. 4) had been passed that an opportunity would be given to Mr Doidge and Mr Meachen to make brief statements and both members were requested by Mr Speaker (Hon. W. E. Bahiiard), not to deal With controversial subjects.

A Plain Duty.

'Mr Meachen thanked the House for the oppbr trinity given him to explain the position. He had been accused lof not playing cricket in raising the question in such a way that Mr Doidge had not had an opportunitp to reply. Mr Meachen explained that he had considered it his duty to bring the reported remarks of Mr Doidge before the , House and after consulting Mr Speaker he was left with no other alternative than to haye the question included on the order paper for Thursday. He wanted to he fair and wanted the Member for Tauranga to be able to explain his object in making the statement that had been reported. Mr IMeachen said he considered he had taken every possible step in a fair way to bring his question before the House. In his opinion that statement was not helpful to the war effort. Mr Doidge in Reply. Mr Doidge also thanked the House for the opportunity to express his opinion and said he considered that Mr Meachen must have known the procedure he had adopted would not have given him (Mr Doidge) the opportunity to reply. Mr Doidge also complained that Mr Meachen had taken only a portion of What he had said from the context of the report, and that 'his main criticism was directed to the statement that we could not make a maximum war effort on a 40-hour week. If Mr Meachen had been actuated by a desire to bs fair to him, lie might at least have shown him the question before it was asked in the House instead of allowing it to burst upon him like a bombshell. The only criticism lie had made of the Government or which could be so construed was the statement that we lacked inspirational leadership and the result was a deadly complacency among many of our people. They had heard the Prime Minister himself declare that only a bombshell on the breakfast table would awaken some people in this country to war consciousness.

Mr Fraser: When was that remark made.

Mr Doidge repeated what be had heaTd Mr -Fraser say, and when Mr Fraser had forcefully repeated his request to know when it had; been said, Mr Doidge stated that it had been said in much fuller terms in the House the night before.

Mr Fraser said the House had been in secret session the previous night and maintained that Mr Doidge bad committed an infringement of a sacred trust.

Mr Speaker upheld the point of order raised by the Prime Minister. Mr Doidge said that his reference had been purely inadvertent, and no member had done more than himself to urge that New Zealand should contribute the maximum war effort to the Empire cause.

Mr Frasefr then; made his appeal to members to refrain from making statements which reflected on the country’s war effort. All the Government asked for was co-operation and friendship and, first of all, the offering of any criticism in a friendly way so that the best result could be achieved.