MORE DEMANDED

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 122, 24 May 1940, Page 8

MORE DEMANDED

THE WAR EFFORT

CONSCRIPTION URGED

AND WAR CABINET

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

measuring up to the responsibilities. I think the Prime Minister is in absolute and sincere earnest, but one man does not make a Cabinet. Where are the others who should have been facing up to the responsibilities! Some have been scuttling round an unimportant by-election and there has been very little doing so far as the country's war effort is concerned. At perhaps the risk of my public position I have advised the Prime Minister to take courage and get the strength of public opinion behind him by clearing out those round him who are not doing the job and surround himself with men whose one desire will be to see the Allies victorious in the struggle. You have today recommended a War Cabinet. It does not matter and we do not care where that Cabinet is selected f rpm so long as it does the job. I feel certain that if the Prime Minister would give a lead we would heed it. He can take what action he likes, and if any who are called, no matter to what section or party they belong, do not answer the call their names should be removed from politics for all time."

WANGANUI, This Day,

The influence of war was felt in the conference room of six provincial districts of the New Zealand Farmers' Union when delegates more than 100 in number met at Wanganui today. It was decided to suspend the order paper, on which were some sixty remits, to permit the conference to discuss the war effort of the Dominion and decide on measures to meet the seriousness of the situation. The whole of the day was taken up with matters affecting the war effort of the Dominion, the conference unanimously passing four motions. The first asked for conscription of man-power and wealth for the duration of the war, the second demanded immediate internment of all enemy aliens, the third demanded abolition of the 40-hour week and all time restrictions in awards and overtime rates of pay, and the fourth asked for a war Cabinet representative of all sections of the community. The Dominion president of the union, Mr. W. W. Mulholland, of Canterbury, was present and in an address lasting an hour after the motions had been passed approved of the request for a war Cabinet and of the demand for enemy aliens to be dealt with. . The conference also discussed home defence, and was addressed in committee by Colonel H. B. Maunsell, from the Wairarapa. As an outcome of what he said the conference decided to urge the establishment of schools for officers and non-commissioned officers. " The conference pledged itself to make available immediately men and horses for a mounted brigade. It also passed a motion urging that adequate camp facilities be provided to accommodate a home defence force. The provinces represented were Wanganui, Wellington (central), Mana- ■ watu, Wairarapa, Southern Hawke's Bay, and Makara-Hutt, practically the whole of the Wellington Province. Mr. Hugh Morrison (Wairarapa) was in the chair. APPEAL. TO PRIME MINISTER. "Physical suffering, is but a bagatelle to what we will see in the future," said Mr. Mulholland. "Everything we have had faith in, truth, justice, and mercy, are being crushed. We stand at the most critical moment in history, and the fate of moral righteousness is in the balance. It is in this situation j that we call upon our leaders for leadership. We have appointed certain people to lead; we have placed high responsibilities on them, responsibilities they must measure up to. This is not a moment when we can condone failure; yet there are some of those in New Zealand today who have been entrusted with leadership who are not

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

INVERCARGILL, May 23,