FULL CONTROL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20261, 31 May 1940, Page 4

FULL CONTROL

DOMINION WEALTH ALL MANPOWER RIGHTS OF STATE PROSECUTION OF WAR ACTION WHEN NEEDED BILL BEFORE THE HOUSE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The House o£ Representatives resumed at 7.30 o’clock last evening. The Prime Minister, the Hon. P. Fraser, in moving the second reading of the Emergency Regulations Amendment. Bill which he ,stated placed the whole manpower and wealth of the Dominion at the disposal of the State, said that the powers taken would be used to further the war effort of the Dominion and the House should have the opportunity of discussing the whole subject of compulsion. There was no intention to rush in and use the emergency powers given in. the bill without preliminary preparation And' this the Government did not intend to do. When the- need arose the powers would be used, but unless this were observed it would only tend to make confusion more confused. Answering a question by Mr. W. J. Poison (Nat Stratford) Mr. Fraser said it was intended to use the compulsory system right away, no fnatter how satisfactory the voluntary system was. The gravity of the present position was such that the Government thought it essential that the compulsory system should be introduced immediately to make our service as efficient as it should be. Sacrifice of Conditions Present working conditions, he added, would be sacrificed if necessary for the furtherance of the national war effort. Who would not, he asked, work 24 hours a day if it would save the flesh and blood of the nation. Arguments for or against conscription were merely academic in the face of the gravity of the situation which at present faced the nation. It was the duty of all of us to rally round to assist to the utmost in this hour of crisis. It was a short bill, he added, but it was a potent measure and he felt sure it would have the support of all members of the House. The Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. A. Hamilton, said they could all endorse most of the sentiments which had been expressed by the Prime Minister. Perhaps no more drastic measure had ever been brought before Parliament than the present bill. It was far more drastic than the Emergency Powers Act passed last session ,and he proceeded to outline the various clauses in the bill. Continuing, Mr. Hamilton asked how long the powers contained in the bill would be enforced. Duration of the War Mr. Fraser: For the duration of the war or less. If the war ends before September, 1941, the powers can be wound up before then, Mr. Hamilton stressed the drastic nature of the powers being given. He said that in fact they were a blame cheque which was being handed to the Government and he hoped that they would be wisely used. lie thought that perhaps it would be wiser for the Government to bring down a bill defining the powers it actually required. If it needed conscription it should say so. Mr. Fraser: Yes it definitely means, conscription. There is no sidestepping the fact. Mr. Hamilton contended that it these powers were to be used by means of Orders-in-Council there would be no need for Parliament. The opposition was prepared to give the Government the fullest hand in dealing with the profiteer or the slacker, but he asked what was meant by power to conscript services. He contended that the uncertainty of what might happen was causing a great deal of concern in the Dominion at the present time .The Government, he thought, should remove these j doubts. It was difficult to obtain 1 unanimity of effort while there were doubts. Based on Britain Mr. Fraser had stated that the bill was based on the measure passed recently in Britain, but at Home, before it had been passed, the British Government had formed a NationaL Government. If a National Government were formed in New Zealand it would find the people united and determined. He was not saying that if the Government asked for a national effort it would not get good results. He believed that it would get splendid results, but he would point out that in the present instance they were being asked to give these powers to party Government. The Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, said the Prime Minister of New Zealand would stand aside if he thought it would assist in the war effort. Mr. W. J. Poison (Nat., Stratford): It was never suggested that he would not. Mr. Nash continued to discuss the negotiations between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition regarding the formation of a War Council and stated that the Government still hoped that these negotiations would continue. Reverting to the bill, he said that under its powers the Government could take complete control of everything, physical and material. Mr. Nash added that it was not right that a man who went overseas to defend the Dominion should be worse off on his return than one who had stayed in the Dominion. That meant that no one should be allowed to make a profit out of the war. We ought not to lean on the Unitfed Kingdom any more than was necessary at the present time. If we sent an expeditionary force to assist the United Kingdom the least we should do was to feed, clothe and equip those men. They were fighting for us, because if the United Kingdom went under we would go under too.