Referendum Campaign— Prime Minister's Meeting At Greymouth

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 August 1949, Page 3

Referendum Campaign— Prime Minister's Meeting At Greymouth

Aided by an almost entirely sympathetic audience and a publicaddress system which enabled him to completely “drown” the few would-be interjectors, the Prime Minister, Mr P. Fraser, brought the Government’s compulsory military.training referendum campaign to a “peaceful” conclusion in the Opera House, Greymouth, last night. There was an attendance of up to 1000 people, and rumours current in Greymouth yesterday that there would be some organised opposition to the speakers proved to be entirely without foundation. Few interjections were heard and the Prime Minister and other speakers were frequently applauded.

the conclusion of the Prime Minister’s address, the chairman, Mr J. E. Stokes (Deputy-Mayor) asked for a show of hands on the issue of compulsory training and announced that “yes” was “carried unanimously”. There were a small number of hands raised in dissent, however, and the Prime Minister intervened to suggest that the vote was carried “by an overwhelming majority.” After questions had been answered by the Prime Minister, Mr O. McLean (president of the Greymouth Returned Services’ Association) moved “a hearty vote of thanks to the speakers” and added that he felt sure that after hearing the addresses, all right-thinking peoole would vote “Yes.”

Few Dissentients

On the motion being put to the meeting there were some “Noes” and Mr Fraser himself called for a show of hands. Only about a dozen hands of dissent could be counted in the crowded hall. ,On the platform were the chairman, who apologised for the absence of the Mayor (Mr F. F. Boustridge), stating that he was out of town on business, the Prime Minister, (Mr Fraser), the Minister of Rehabilitation (Mr C. F. ’Skinner), the Member of the Executive Council representing the Maori race (Mr E. T. Tirikatene); Mr J. B. Kent, M.P. for Westland, Mr H. O. Jefcoate (representing the R.S.A.) and Mr E. F. Chivers (representing the National Party). “We urge preventive preparation now, not during a war which may be forced upon us,” said Mr Jefcoate, summing up the Returned Services Association's case for a “yes” vote. He added that the case was once put by a greater Englishman than himself. “Trust in God, boys—but keep your powder dry.” “Make it short,” was the remark from the hall which greeted Mr Kent as he rose to speak and he assured the interjector that he would. He began by extending a welcome to the Prime Minister.

“The Government and Parliament have decided, on the facts before them that compulsory military training is necesary—very necessary, to meet our commitments as part and parcel of the British Commonwealth of Nations,” said Mr Kent. “It has been decided, and I think rightly, too, to hold a referendum. This is the truly democratic method, especially where the safety of the country and life of the people is concerned.” The people of Westland, and of (he rest of the country, added Mr Kent were being given a chance to say whether they wanted to be defended by trained forces or whether they wanted to leave it to a rabble, and he thought that when the audience had heard the Prime Minister they would honour their obligations. National Party View

“I want to make my position here tonight very clear,” said Mr Chivers. “When this meeting was being organised the National Party was approached to associate itself with the meeting. I, being a starter in what I may term, other races, was asked it I would undertake that duty.” Mr Chivers added that he considered the defence of one’s country in time of war was of paramount importance, but there were menaces which had arisen other than those of warlike aggression. Against those forces, the people of New Zealand had to guard with equal enthusiasm their way of life. “The principle opponents of this scheme are the Communists,” added Mr Chivers. “They don’t want us to have any loyal organisation that can be called upon to combat their nefarious organisation.” | / Mr Chivers concluded by saying that, as a “comparatively free people” (laughter), the people of New Zealand had to act as individuals in the matter of the referendum. It was a personal issue. It had to be borne in mind that a vote against the scheme might well be a vote for Communism and against the British way of life. The Minister of Rehabilitation, Mr Skinner, stressed that New Zealand must be prepared to shoulder its fair share of .the defence of the Commonwealth and other democratic states and said that he felt the Government’s scheme would give the country the nucleus of a worthwhile defence force. He also stressed that volunteer recruiting in New Zealand since the end of the war had been a failure—that only 60 per cent of the target figure for the interim army had been secured and that every recruit had cost £4 a head in advertising and recruiting costs. Beginning with a haka and concluding with the Maori Battalion’s motto, in Maori, Mr Tirikatene’s address produced a prolonged ovation. “We must hold what we have and to do that we must be prepared,” said Mr Tirikatene. “We should be prepared to prepare, to pray and, if necessary, to fighv for this freedom.” Mr Fraser spoke for an over an hour, his address following closely on the lines of his statement to the people of Westland (published yesterday) and his national radio address earlier last evening. He also dealt at length with international affairs, on the lines of his earlier 'addresses in the campaign. He dealt trenchantly with the very few interjectors, telling one man who called out “Rats!” that that was probably the name on his calling card. His more effective method, however, was to continue his address as if nothing had occurred and to tell the interjectors that he could not hear them, and to frame an “intelligent” question for the end of the meeting. Mr Fraser stressed that the Government, had the power, under existing legislation to do all that it wanted to do in the direction of training, but thought that it was more democratic to tell the people all the facts. Mr Fraser’s Denials '•

Mr Fraser replied to-various criticisms of the scheme, stressing that there definitely would be no manpower regulations to follow, that there would be a minimum interference with industry by taking the 18-year-olds into camp, that there would be no wet canteens in the camps and that the welfare of the boys would be well looked after. , Mr Fraser was emphatic that the recruits would not be used “industrially,” but added that that did not mean that the Government had to stand by and let the country be wrecked industrially and economically without using all the means at its disposal to prevent it. If any section defied the Government, he said, the Government would use any power at its command. Some people, continued Mr Fraser,

were trying to strike a fatal blow —for whom he could leave to the imagination of the audience—by getting workers to reduce output, to reduce hours of work and stop the flow of produce to Britain so that the standard of living would fall and so that the system of social justice would fall down. “That is stupidity and it is not going to be allowed to continue in this'/country,” said Mr Fraser.

Like Mr Skinner. Mr Fraser expressed the opinion that there was no chance of a voluntary system succeeding in New Zealand and stressed that it was a question of saying whether New Zealand was to be impotent or was to continue to deserve the cooperation which had been extended to it during the last war by Britain and the United States, pointing out that if the United States had lost the Battle of the Coral Sea some of those opposing training today might have either been put to death or kissing the feet of the Mikado by now. “That might happen again,” he continued. “A.vast fleet of submarines sits at Vladivostock, and God knows what is. going to happen there.”

Atlantic Pact Defended

In the course of his review of the international situation, Mi’ Fraser strenuously defended the Atlantic Pact, as a defensive pact only and hotly denied suggestions that anyone in Britain or the United States was “warmongering,” and concluded with an appeal for a “Yes” vote, pointing out that a reverse decision would be claimed as a Communist victory and a weakening of the ties of the British Commonwealth.

Owing to the late arrival of the official party from Christchurch, the meeting was 20 minutes behind schedule in starting (an apology was made by Mr Fraser), but the audience was entertained by selections from the Greymouth Municipal Band, which paraded through the streets and later took its place in the body of the hall.