"GROWING PUBLIC DISCONTENT"

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23541, 20 January 1942, Page 4

"GROWING PUBLIC DISCONTENT"

CLAIM BY LEADER OF OPPOSITION MEMORANDUM TO MR FRASER (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Jan. 19. . "I am preparing a comprehensive memorandum to the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) setting out in detail causes for the growing public discontent and dissatisfaction that have been expressed to me in the various centres,” said the Leader of the Opposition, Mr S. G. Holland, today. Mr Holland, who is visiting Auckland, has made a lour of the main parts of New Zealand to observe war activities, and has visited many military, naval, and air training centres, and factories engaged on war production. Mr Holland said that he had had many representations made to him during his tour, and there was a growing feeling of discontent and frustration among many people over the trend of recent events. He had been asked to urge the Government immediately to see that the heavy burden of the war was made to fall more equitably upon those able to bear it. The requests had come from people of all classes, ‘‘There is no doubt that the public is far from satisfied that everything that should be done is being done, or that the things being done are being fairly done.” Mr Holland continued. He declined to discuss details of the representations he had received, recalling his efforts to minimise party acrimony, and added that in some instances they could not be made public because the information might possibly be of value to the enemy. In some cases, however, the matters were to the public concern and could be made public, but he considered it only fair to the Government to pass them to Cabinet in the hope that they could be rectified without public discussion, “I have been tremendously impressed by the enthusiasm of our servicemen of all ranks and in all the fighting services,” he added. “Everywhere I have been, the men have displayed the greatest keenness for their work and a determination to equip themselves, both physically and technically, to be of maximum service. The men of the National Military Reserve are a particularly fine body of men. I have seen bank and insurance managers, labourers and solicitors, accountants and carpenters, working side by side with an enthusiasm that was a delight to observe.”