LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 100, 30 April 1941, Page 8

LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Your editorial "Unwelcome Campaign" in Monday's "Post" reflects, I feel confident, the opinion today of the majority of the people who are now opposed to local body elections being held when the Empire is fighting for its very existence against the Nazi creed of brute force, paganism, and slavery. Since the municipal conference, at which it was decided to support holding elections, circumstances have changed. In this war the front is now everywhere, and it is not going to be won but by the unselfishness, resolution, and "unity" of the whole British people. Furthermore, it is not playing the game with our forces overseas for we on the home front to be wasting energy and money in elections any kind. If a plebiscite were ''taken today and democracy permitted to speak on the clear-cut issue of forming a National Government and thus automatically postponing all elections for the duration of the war there would be an overwhelming majority in favour.

The Prime Minister has rightlystressed the fact that in a time of national danger "the life of the nation is above party and individual." As national danger demands national unity, the time is overdue to form a National Government and postpone the present "Unwelcome Campaign" and so with a unity of purpose and grim determination follow the example set the whole world by Britain. Could we New Zealanders wish for more tragic examples of what disunity, sectional conflicts, and intrigue have, been responsible for in unfortunate European countries, even assuming that such a state of things could never existamong our own pepole? It is not too late to postpone local body elections as a prelude to forming a National Government for the simple reason that must now be apparent to all thinking people—unless we win the war for us it is the end.' The hour calls for . national unity and maximum effort.— I am, etc., T. A. FRASER.