PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 141, 11 March 1943, Page 4

PARLIAMENT

Speech By Prime Minister SCHOOL LEAVING AGE

N.Z.’s Relations With America The hope that it would be possible to extend the school leaving age to 15 years and then to 16 years was expressed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, during the Address-in-Reply debate in the House last night. “If one thing is clear nt the present time,” said the Prime Minister, it is that there can be no equality of opportunity without equality of educational opportunity for everyone.” Mr. Fraser said that two thoughtful speeches from the opposition side of the House were those of Mr. Aclnnd (Opposition, Temuka) and Mrs. Grigg (Opposition, Mid-Canterbury). The member for Temuka had dealt with matters of local and world-wide importance in an analytical aud thoughtful fashion, and speeches like his were helpful whatever side of the House they might come from. Hie member for Mid-Canterbury had discussed questions of great importance which dealt with the welfare of the people. It was a matter of regret to him that it was not possible when he was Mims-, ter of Education, because of lack of teachers, to raise the school age. In 1925 provision was made for the raising of the school age by order-in-council or proclamation. This had not been done yet, but he hoped it would be, as part of a scheme of reconstruction whereby the school age would be raised to 15 years and then to 16 years. The concern he had felt, at the reports that the relatively high wages for juvenile labour were attracting children away from school to blind-alley occupations was referred to by Mr. Fraser, who said he had been greatly reassured during the last week or so by the statements to him of a prominent headmistress and headmaster that the roll number for their schools was the highest they had ever had. That'was also the experience of a number of head teachers, and it was very gratifying indeed. Attacks on Ministers. Referring to atacks on the Minister in Charge of Broadcasting, Mr., Wilson, the Prime Minister said that whether it was the Minister of Broadcasting or the Minister of Marketing who was singled out for special attacks he wanted it to be specially understood that it was the whole Cabinet, the tvhole party aud Government that had been attacked and not the Minister simply or solely. The attacks made by Professor 11. M. Algie on Mr, Nash in a letter to the Auckland Press were deplored , by the Prime Minister, who said they might best be described as the sort of back-fence title-tattle that the women of some countries might indulge in. He said the writer had miide reference to stupid stories about the Minister of Railways, and made stupid and petty remarks about Mr. Nash, who was everywhere admitted to be doing a splendid service to New Zealand in Washington.

The statement by the member for Patea, Mr. Dickie, that there were C 3 men in the armed • force's while there were grade 1 men in funkholes in the Public Service was a serious reflection on public servants, said Mr. Fraser. Many of them had pleaded to go . into the armed forces, but were kept in the service against their will. The women’s meeting held in the Hutt district had been organized, by opponents of the Government, he said. Ho had learned from Press reports that the promoter of the meeting was of strong anti-Labour views, and that, other women were associated with the Communist Party. They were entitled to their views politically, but they were not friends of the Government, and that had to be remembered when their criticism of the cost of living and the Marketing Department was heard. ■ An Opposition member: Very few women are friends of the Government. (Laughter.) The Prime Minister said these meetings had been organized at the time when the Government was providing food for the men fighting our battles on Guadalcanal. People who complhined of the cost of living in New Zealand had not even glimpsed the conditions in Britain, In New Zealand we had not felt the strain of war except in the cases of the vela-' tiyes of men who bad died or been wounded in warfare. British Never Greater,

“I do not care from what source statements come preaching that the British race is degenerate, I will reject it,” said Mr. Fraser in referring to the speech ot Sir Apirana Ngata (Opposition, Eastern Maori), in which he asked what was the position, of the dark races under the Atlantic Charter, “I think tho British people were never greater or grander than at the present moment. After Dunkirk they stood without flinching and wailing and with a greater fortitude and courage than ever before.” He said there were just as great men today as in the past, in paying a tribute to General Wavell and Sir Stafford Ovipps. Times had ehanged ttnd it was no longer a question of the domination of other peoples. The British people were trving to find a way of composing racial differences. There was an antagonism of ideals and morality. Anybody who tried to draw a line between the United Nations on the cplour line was doing a disservice to their cause.

Referring to statements about the acquisition by the United States of bases in the Pacific. Mr. Fraser said the idea of getting into New Zealand had never crossed the minds of the American people.’ New Zealand was n sovereign country as with other Dominions of the Commonwealth. There were islands in the Pacific some of which were Crown colonies, some under New Zealand mandate, and some part of the Dominion's own territory. If at any time there was a question of setting up bases either for the United States, for Great Britain. or New Zealand ail would get together to discuss the matter on a common basis. It would be a matter for tlie deepest regret if anything was said or done to belittle the friendship so strongly existing between New Zealand’s American comrades and the people of the Dominion.

The Prime Minister deplored the attitude of Opposition members in respect to the publication of anything in the nature of an agitation in the “Police Journal’’ or the Press as a whole. The Police Force must not be made a matter for agitation at any time and particularly in wartime nothing must be done calculated to undermine the discipline of the force, lie had supported the formation of a Police Association and his faith in it had been justified, but before their loyalty to their association came their oath of loyalty to the Crown. Mr. Doidge (Opposition, Tuuranga) : But there is no risk of insubordination among such a fine body us the Police Force. The Prime Minister: No, but we arc not going to allow a few to stir up strife. , , Mr. Fraser went, on to say that the question of polic“ remuneration bad been investigated, and some improvement had been made. He quoted the. rates of pay of police officers and ho claimed that the men were not underpaid. Referring to aerodrome camouflage. Mr. Fraser took exception to statements which lie said the Leader of the Opposition had made to the effect that the method employed was ridiculous. . • Mr. Holland: Yes, and I still say so.

Mr. Fraser said that the methods employed in New Zealand were the most modern practised among all tlie Allied nations, and tlie Leader of the Opposition was setting himself up as an authority on il subject about, which he knew nothing. The Leader of the Opposition, in making such statements, was doing a disservice to the country. . Dealing with financial policy and monetary reform, Mr. Fraser said he would not deal with the subject in a general way, but tlie problem at the moment was not credit but materials for war purposes. The banks were tradeis in purchasing power, and at the present moment he could not sec that anything would be gained by a change from the present system. The trading banks were receiving only 13/- per cent, for the pur-

chasing power they provided for the Government without any ebarge lor management. lie could not see that the banks were robbing the country and the people, and if that unprecedented low rate could be bettered by a State bank he would like to see it done. The House rose at 10.30 p.m. till 2.00 this afternoon.