ALL AFFECTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 128, 2 June 1938, Page 5

ALL AFFECTED.

DEFENCE OF COUNTRY

u SERIOUS OBLIGATION. ,,

COMMERCE CHAMBER VIEW. "The first and most serious obligation of any Government is the effective defence of the country, ami this mist affect us all." said Mr. A. G. Lunn at to-day's meeting of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce when correspondence relative to defence was beinsr considered.

A letter was received from the H >n. F. Jones. Minister of Defence, thanking the chamber for its response to an appeal for the help of«all employers in Xew Zealand for building up the Territorial force. The chambers suggo-t;on that an advertising scheme in the Press be undertaken, the Minister stated. \. as reviving earnest attention.

The chamber, in a reply which came before the meeting for confirmation, suggested that certificates sinned by the Minister of Defence or someone else in authority might, with advantage, be issued to efficient trainees, and employers could give preference to euch applicants.

"Whether the defence scheme should !«e voluntary or compulsory must be considered by the Government."' said Mr. Lunn. "If one i~ not effective then the other must l>e adopted, but our duty is to stand behind whatever the Government deoides.' , Mr. -T. Hislop said there should be no suggestion of compulsion in any scheme put forward by the chamber. The*e certificates might mean that the unfit were deprived of a job. '"I would like to see more enthusiasm for the defence of the currency than for the defency of the country." said Mr. Hislop. Mr. J. A. C. Allum: Xo country, no currency. Mr. Hislop said it was the other way round. The chairman. Mr. A. Ely. said it was tl)e duty of the chamber to assist thu Government in its present scheme of organisation. The chamber had been asked for its opinion and it was prepared to support loyally whatever Ischeme the Government favoured.

The chamber's letter to the Minister was approved.