CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT’S POLICY

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23001, 22 April 1940, Page 5

CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT’S POLICY

TO THE EDITOB OT THE PBESB. Sir,—On reading in "The Press" o: April 18 "Be Fair's" complaint, to gether with his moans and groans, r appears he is one of the few wh< would like the pre-Labour days bad again, 'when farmers were at libertj to pay their workers 10s a week wit! board (less tax). -These workers hat to work in many cases from dawn til dark and then retire to the very un comfortable housing provided for them It is no wonder many of these mei have chosen the Public Works Depart ment camps for residence and a clean honest living. When "Be Fair" and his kind trea the* workers more humanely, payinj fair wages, surely many of the publii works so-called loafers and shovelbenders would eventually go back t< the land, much to the joy of our com plainant and his followers. As "Be Fair's" last lines are a sligh to the public works men not enlist ing, let me remind him that they ar< doing their share as volunteers. Yes, it is a wonderful .country w< live in, with our Labour Governmen as our guide to better living and faire: ways.—Yours, etc., FAIR THING. April 18, 1940. TO TH* EOtTOB OF' TKB PEE3B. Sir, —In think that I can add a little to the statement which "Old Ulster' made in your issue on April 18. Wher the war first broke out, and there wai a discussion on forming a Scots, and later, a Maori battalion, I was think ing of writing to your paper and sug' gesting the formation of an Irish one too; but on taking special notice of the number of Irish who rushed the col ours. I came to the conclusion that i would be more than filled—in fact there would be very little else of the Army except the Irish section. We are told that one in every sever of the population of New Zealand ii Irish or of Irish descent. Now. I thin! that everyone will agree that the Irisl are the most enthusiastic fighters (foi •right or Wrong) in the British natior (next come the Scots), and I am sure that there are many more of then (myself included), who are patientlj waiting for conscription, because thej are not fools enough to fight the wai on their own. as it seems that the present volunteers are going to, under the present conditions. Perhaps this will help to explain the rate of recruiting in Northern Ireland' —Yours, etc., . ■ . . IRISH DESCENT. April 18, 1940. _