A VISITOR LOOKS AT NEW ZEALAND.

Evening Star, Issue 23908, 11 June 1941, Page 6

A VISITOR LOOKS AT NEW ZEALAND.

TO THE EDITOU. Sir, —It was with appreciation that I read your leading article reviewing the observations made in the farewell address by Mr Holmes, a leading trade unionist, who came from England to New Zealand to wake up our people to a realisation of the desperate war struggle in which the British fighting forces are engaged. Ho also came to stress the urgent need for our workers, farmers, and others speeding up industrial production and doing everything possible to assist in contributing a maximum effort to win the war for freedom, humanity, and civilisation. The critical comments you made in your article concerning certain questions wore well founded. It would have been further interesting if you had referred to the need for Mr Holmes’s visit and the subject of his appeals, as a redaction on our members of Parliament, inference being that they seemed lacking in, or did not exert, that induenco which "was wanted to influence workers and others to increase industrial production. No doubt those in authority in Britain had their reasons for sending Mr Holmes out hero to stimulate more patriotic work in the nature of increased production and in other ways designed for furthering war effort work. This service was, and is, of supremo purpose. It is questionable whether even now there is an all-round public-spirited recognition of the fact that patriotic war service is a first and paramount duty. To remain apathetic or aloof from contributing some useful patriotic work to help our soldiers and the noble cause for which so many arc shedding their blood is deserving of the strongest censure. This is a time when the casualty lists beckon to everyone, members of Parliament and others, to become most active and prominent in doing some essential patriotic work on councils or other publicspirited bodies. There should be subordinated to the one great aim of winning the war'all selfish considerations. Loyalty to our soldiers, gratitude to them, and a sensitive conscience should command us to apply now to our lives the slogan “ Not for self, but for service.” Shame on those selfish persons whose only work is confined to money getting and not giving service, while our soldiers, airmen, and sailors are giving their lives for their protection and safety. —I am, etc., Paramount Duty. June 11. ■