REASONS FOR ACTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 135, 5 December 1939, Page 10

REASONS FOR ACTION

NOT ANTAGONISTIC

IN AIM

TAG 0E "POLITICS" RESENTED

The aims and objects of the meeting were stated in a letter which the organising committee sent to the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage. The communication is as follows: — "The committee which is organising the mass meeting, to be held in Hamilton on Monday, December 4, wishes to take this opportunity of explaining to you the aims and objects of the meeting. The mass meeting is a combined effort, sponsored by the Hamilton Retailers' Association, on behalf of the merchants, all employers of labour, employees, and farmers, and it is being held for the sole purpose of imparting to the Government constructive criticism, in an attempt to have certain legislation revised. NOT A MATTER Of PARTY. "At. the outset the committee wishes to make it perfectly clear that the meeting is not being held in an antagonistic spirit and wishes to assure you that party politics are not the concern of the committee or of the meeting. No matter what Government was in power the committee would feel the same under the present circumstances. It is its honest opinion that, unless some of the present legislation is amended, New Zealand will not be able to assist the Empire to its full capacity in its war effort. "The commrttee is strongly of the opinion that the restricted trading, caused by the drastic import restrictions, will have a disastrous effect on New Zealand as a whole. Not only will the positions of many employees be in jeopardy but the Government will lose a great amount of revenue through the channel of taxation when revenue is urgently required to assist in the war effort. WANTS "BUSINESS AS USUAL." "The committee is heartily in accord with the slogan of the Rt. Hon. Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of Great Britain—'business as usual during the war'—but feels that unless as near normal as possible trading is maintained and-farmers are given the opportunity to increase production, 'business 33 usual' is impossible in New Zealand. "The committee strongly resents the attitude being taken by certain sections of trade and labour unions in the district to make this meeting a political one. Propaganda is being spread about that is definitely tending to cause a rift between employees and employers. There is not the slightest foundation for this propaganda, as the committee realises only too fully the magnitude of the effort that will be required to help the British Empire to win the present war, and fully recognises that co-operation by all sections of the community is vitally necessary. GOVERNMENT NOT HARASSED. "It cannot be emphasised too strongly that the committee has no political affiliations and is not attempt- ' ing to harass the Government. Rather it is attempting to do what it sincerely believes will assist the Government and the country to win the war. The committee wishes to stress, that its firm conviction is that some mfeasure of relief will have to be given farmers; importers, and merchants, to enable New Zealand's maximum war effort to be achieved."