BELITTLED

Grey River Argus, 6 December 1940, Page 8

BELITTLED

N.Z. WAR EFFORT Questions in Parliament [Per Press Association] PARLT. BLDGS., December 5. Some comment on criticism of New Zealand’s war effort was occasioned when the House met at 3.30 to-day by a question which Mr E. P. Meachen (Govt. Marlborough) addressed to the Prime’ Minister. He gave notice to ask Rt. Hon. Mr Fraser: If his attention has been drawn to the report of a speech of Mr F. W. Doidge (Nat., Tauranga) to the effect that Nev/ Zealand’s war effort was negligible, and that we had sent only a mere handful of men overseas. In view of the far-reaching effects of such statements on New Zealand’s war, effort generally, and on the British public, he (Mr Meachen) asked the Prime Minister if he would, in conjunction with the Leader of the Opposition, take suitable steps to curb “the misleading, extravagant, incorrect, and .often irresponsible statements which had been appearing.” Mr S. G. Holland (Opposition Leader) protested to the Speaker against the question being tabled. It was giving Mr Doidge no right of reply. It would not make for unity in the war effort.

The Speaker said he could only be concerned with the point of whether the question complied with the rules of the House, and he did give the matter serious consideration before he passed the notice of the question. Rt. Hon. Mr Fraser said that, if possible, he would try to meet the wishes of the House. If Mr Doidge felt that he should have an opportunity of expressing his opinion, an occasion, might be found. In an urgent question to the Minister of National Service (Hon. R. Semple), Mr G. J. Cullen (Govt., Hawke’s Bay) asked if the Minister would review the National Emergency Regulations, with a view to ensuring that persons called up in any Ballot were notified where appeals had been lodged against or for, the postponement of their service by anyone other than the reservist himself. The Minister of National Service, Mr Semple, in reply, said that all appeals received by the Man Power Committees were, acknowledged as soon as they were received. If a man appealed himself on the grounds ol public interest, a copy of the acknowledgement was also sent to his employer. In all cases where an appeal was lodged by some other person, such as an employer, parent, etc., a copy of the acknowledgement of the appeal was sent to the man in respect of whom the appeal was lodged. Similar procedure was adopted in connection with appeals forwarded to the Director of National Service for men called up for overseas service.

Mr W. P. Endean (Nat., Remuera),in an urgent question to the Minister of Finance, Hon. W. Nash, asked if he would grant permission for friends and relatives and other persons- in New Zealand to send to each member of the Expeditionary Force abroad five pounds for Christmas. Mr Nash expressed regret that nothing could be done in the meantime, but he promised to give further consideration to the question, and, it the essential sums were available he would recommend that some alteration be made at a later date.

MARRIED MEN QUESTION OF EXEMPTION WELLINGTON, December 5. Pion. R. Semple (Minister of National Service) to-day made a statement clarifying two popular misunderstandings regarding the position of married men and v/idowers in the General Reserve. He said it appeared to be generally known that men married on or aftei' May 1, 1940, were deemed unmarried for the purposes of the regulations so long as they have no children, but many reservists were not clear on what happens on the birth of a child of such marriages. “A man drawn in the ballot was deemed transferred to the armed forces on the day following publication of his name in the Gazette, therefore if he were properly gazetted as a first division reservist the subsequent birth of ’a ichild wlould not divest him of liability for service, which he had already incurred. In other words, if he is childless on the day of the Gazette notice, then he is a member of the armed forces, and will not be discharged solely on account of the birth of a child. If, however, he was first drawn in the Territorial ballot, and a child was afterwards born, he will be excluded from any subsequent first division overseas ballot.”

Mr Semple explained that contrary to what is sometimes believed, widowers were not transferred from the Second to the First Division of the reserve on the attainment of a certain age by his child or youngest child. .It followed that a widower with a child of any age was in the Second Division. s ) RURAL HOUSING. WELLINGTON, December 5, In reply to an urgent question by Mr J. N. Massey (Nat., Franklin) Mr Armstrong, stated in the House today that th e Government had under consideration the question of extending the period during which the ten per cent, subsidy allowed by the Government for the erection of dwellings under the Rural Housing Act could be granted beyond the original-ly-stated date of December 31 next. Th e Minister said that, although it had not been decided that . there should be any definite extension of the date, local bodies had been advised that any applications approved by them before December 31 would be eligible for subsidy, provided the borrower/ proceeded with his z , building programme within a reasonable tim ft in the New Year.