SUPPORT URGED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 151, 28 June 1943, Page 3

SUPPORT URGED

WINNING THE WAR Britain's example and the determina* tion of the people to hold fast during a . critical period and. to go forward with their endeavour were cited by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Nash) in an j address at Petone today in offering strong reasons why every possible ef* fort should be made by the people of New Zealand to support the war effort. His address was to employees of twenty-five firms, and representatives of various organisations, assembled at the factory of Messrs. C. and A. Odlin, Ltd., in Petone. The appeal by the Minister was directed mainly to , the working-class people, though he recognised what others were doing, and he made particular reference in his address to the spirit of the working-class people of England. The experiences overseas, affecting all classes, brought about a realisation of how much was owed to England. It had to be re» membered that one in five of the houses there had been destroyed or damaged by the war, that up to May last 50,000 people there had been killed and something like 60,000 so injured that they; would never work again, and that during last month 500 had been killed. If England had not withstood the experiences of September, 1940, and April, 1941, this war, he said, would have lasted twenty years longer. But the people were determined that they were going to hold fast. "We now see," he said, "a change in the world situation, and are going to a winning strain rather than a retiring and losing strain." Of the effort being put forward by the people of Britain, the Minister pointed to production as one sphere in which great achievement had been made. That had been due to working 50, 60, and 70 hours a week—long hours and at a reasonable pay—without being able to get all that they required to eat. Yet distribution of the foodstuffs was so organised that he believed the health of Britain today was as good as ever it had been. But it was only near the edge. If it were possible for the enemy to stop food in greater measure going in, then Britain would show a decline because the people would not have sufficient 'energy to enable them to work. There was the fact, too, that Britain up to last July had shown an output greater than that of the United States. In what England had done and was doing there was cause for NewZealatid offering all the help possible. The money which was required, he said in drawing attention to the loan, could not be got unless the working class of the community put their money in. The investment was a good one. The object was to get this war over as quickly as possible. Then they would have a better world—a world without depression, where every person competent to work would have work to do. v According 'to a message received from London. Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands has arrived in Canada to attend the christening of his daughter, Princess Margriet Francisca. The ceremony will take place in Ottawa tomorrow.