PARLIAMENT ‘Workers Willing To Make Sacrifices To Assist Britain’

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 August 1947, Page 8

PARLIAMENT ‘Workers Willing To Make Sacrifices To Assist Britain’

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 29. Opposition speakers and newspaper editors had been calling for sacrifices from workers and from farmers, but there had been no call for sacrifice from employers, Mr J. Mathison (Government, Avon) said in the House of Representatives today. If other sections of the community responded to the call to aid Britain as readily as would workers, then Britain would be helped to an extent unparelleled in this country, he said. Workers in New Zealand would, respond at any time to help Britain’ but they wanted an assurance from the Government that any extra effort they made would not result in increasing the already swollen profits of the employers, he said. “National Party Aims” He was sure it was true that the National Party would eliminate the 40-hour week and the five-day week if they had a chance. They would also give relief to the higher-income group by reducing social security and other services, and by altering the incidence of taxation so that the burden would be placed on those less able to bear it.

Mr M. H. Oram (Opposition, Manawatu) described Mr Mathison’s speech as one of the most dangerous and pernicious ever made in the House. -He had made statements calculated to promote disharmony. Mr Mathison had also appeared to support the idea that workers should work a sixth day without extra pay. Why did not the lead come from the leaders of the Government? The answer was that the leaders of the Government were incapable of leading. During Mr Oram’s speech there were frequent interruptions and interjections from both sides ( of- the House, and Mr Speaker . called the House to order. ....

Mr W. H. Fortune (Opposition,

Eden) said that of the 57,000 men he estimated to be on age benefits, probably half were between 60 and 65 years of age, and that at least 14,000 of them would be glad to assist in the present emergency if they were not deprived of the benefit. Many •of them were skilled tradesmen and could work at the light maintenance of houses and buildings.

LABOUR MEMBER’S TRIBUTE TO PRESS REPORTING WELLINGTON, Aug. 29. While newspapers in New- Zealand were good when compared with those in the rest of the world, there was room for improvement, said Dr A. M. Finlay (Government, North Shore), speaking in the Budget debate in the House of Representatives today. Newspapers in New Zealand had a higher duty than, for example, the press in England, because of the large number of cultural publications here, he said.

Although he had asked a question about the press earlier in the session, his object was not for the press to be taken over by the State. That was the last thing he wanted to see. He preferred to see the press become better and freer by its own efforts. The factual reporting .of New Zealand newspapers was good, but their interpretation of facts was more subject to criticism. This reflected a national characteristic, for most New Zealanders were more interestetd in facts than in their meanings or consequences.

Dr Finlay said that present newspaper staffs quite competent to specialise in various fields, but the “monopolistic inertia” of present ownerships hampered this. There was too great a tendency to accept “handouts” —whether from a Cabinet Minister or 'from the Chamber of Commerce —as presenting full facts on a question. Newspapers should insist on obtaining and presenting full facts, even if that involved worrying the Government more. Dr Finlay made a plea for more controversial discussions on the radio and said he was bound to admit that the' radio today was not as. fr ( ee for controversy as were the newspapers.