NEED FOR CLEAR THINKING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 142, 29 March 1948, Page 3

NEED FOR CLEAR THINKING

PRIME MINISTER’S ADVICE (P.A.) DUNEDIN, March 28. “There never was a time .when the need for clear and straight thinking was more necessary than at present,” said the ' Prime Minister(the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) to members of the Federated Catholic Clubs and Societies of New Zealand at the opening of their South Island conference in Dunedin on Saturday. “If our country is to proceed on the path of progress and liberty, and i$ to retain its freedom, there is need for those taking part in public life and in the activities of all societies to learn to think clearly,” he said. > Mr Fraser said that he had'been 'speaking to the secretary of the Victoria College University Students’ Association, and had asked how, the. resolution congratulating Mr K. Gottwald, the Communist Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia, had got through, because he was . quite satisfied that a majority of students would not he in favour of it. He was told that there were one or two present at the meeting who had thought quickly and put forward the motion, which had been carried before most of the others understood what it was all about. As a result, the Student’s Association had appeared in an unfavourable light. “You cannot retain the foundation of democracy laid by the pioneers unless there is a sense of responsibility on the part of everyones in the community,” Mr Fraser said. “The idea that there is some magic to bestow wealth upon people is nonsense. Wealth had to be produced and distributed in all forms, and health benefits and other benefits which were \ conferred by the country could be destroyed unless there was that sense of responsibility of everyone. It was common, he continued, for groups in all economic activities to want to push their own interests, and not see the interests of the community as a whole. Without eome idea of co-operation by all groups the way would be made easy for the doctrine of Communism and subversion to find a place. “Little Communists”' were trying to create a feeling t hat all benefits were illusions, and to cause dissension in the country, which was the best of all, and did not want such things, Mr Fraser said.