JUST MISUNDERSTOOD

Evening Star, Issue 23724, 4 November 1940, Page 12

JUST MISUNDERSTOOD

GOVERNMENT KINO TO CAPITAL HR WEBS'S DEFENSE [TT:u LLnitisd Press Association.] CHIIISTCTJII ,H Cli, November 3. “ Any report intimating that it is the Government’s .intention to take advantage of the war situation to disrupt the capitalist .system is wrong, it was never mentioned by mo. The Government's policy has been quite definite. In the words of Mi' Savage, where private enterprise can manage best that field will be left to private enterprise, and will receive all the assistance tho Government can give to perfect its organisation.” This statement .was made by tho Minister of Labour (Mr Webb) in an interview on bis return to Christchurch from a 12 days’ tour of the West Coast. Mr Webb discussed his recent reference to capitalism as a world operating system and its attendant injustices and the likely modifications , and changes in the social order when the war was victoriously over, but he declined to comment on the inclusion in tbo agenda of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce the question of the '• mooted early liquidation of the capitalist class,” merely describing the statement as nonsensical. “ What I said was that a capitalism which allowed a few to accumulate millions and condemned millions of human beings to ho in want or in need of work would be as dead as Julius Closin' when tho war was over, and that criticism against tho British Government that this was a war of imperialism and capitalism was ridiculous and absurd.” said Mr Webb. ”it is definitely a war of principle, one part of the world—the Western democracies, especially Britain—standing for a democracy that took hundreds of voars to evolve and'is sacred to every trades unionist and Socialist in the world. Because of that, the whole of tho progressive and Labour forces of the world were milted behind Britain and her war effort. Mr Churchill is doing magnificent work, and has focussed attention on the weak spots,” Mr Webb said. “He immediately invited to his Cabinet men like Mr Bevin, Major Attlee, and Mr Morrison, who hold the same political opinions as myself, and handed them portfolios of great importance in the British War Government. These men have co-operated excellently with the Churchill Government without one sacrifice of principle. To dream of going back to an economic and social condition that gave the right to accumulate millions while millions were in want of food, clothing, and shelter is simply unthinkable,” caid Mr Webb. “ Irrespective of what our cwn personal feelings , may be as to the form of society to be evolved after the war, the Important thing in my mind is that the democracy which wins the war, will, as a result of its war conditions and war experiences, be in a better position to shape the destiny of the human race than a few prophets or pessimists can ever hope to do.”

Denying that he had said that the Government’s aim was to destroy private enterprise and capital, Mr Webb said that evidence was available for all to sec that many industries privatelyowned had been, and wore, receiving assistance from the Government u>, equip them more economically to produce the nation’s income. His own department, Labour, had been responsible for the transferring of more than 4,000 men from relief and public works jobs to the cleaning up of private farms, Mr Webb said. Last year more than 50,000 additional acres "wore brought into production by labour subsidised to an extent of 75 per cent. The Government had also subsidised -the training of men for industry, and had co-operated wherever that co-operation had been desired. “ This policy, I am sure, will continue so long as industries are organised to produce the people’s needs,” Mr Webb said. “In fact, there is hardly any private institution which the Government has not assisted or is not assisting in one form or another, bn.. this has little or no bearing on tbo general or international situation. To attempt, to pronhesv what is going to take place after the war is like making n prophecy or speculation ns to when the war is going to end “ T have boon simply amazed.” Mr Webb added, “ at the amount of political bias that has been introduced over this matter.”